The inspiration for this piece came from a particular sequence of events. First, I felt privileged to have heard this couple making music in New York City. They have that magical rapport on stage you see with a few performing couples: Johnny Cash and June Carter, John Lennon and Yoko Ono. They appear to serve as each others' muse. Second, the day I returned we were dancing at The Mighty Quinn and a lady I'd never met stopped me as I was leaving the "Ladies Room" and asked in a serious and almost desperate tone, "What makes relationships work?". I seem to get asked this type of question with amazing regularity. I don't know if it was because she'd watched Josef and I dancing together, as this is often the catalyst, or if it's related to my personality type, which has led me to choose to work in caring and counselling professions. Anyway, reflecting on my response to her, I think the extract on Popa Chubby and Galea, from theElmore: saving music magazine, reflects the ideas embodied in my response to her. In brief, I told her "I believe sharing a passion for the same things is important - it's not what you do at work that counts (this you do separately), it's what you love doing on weekends and on holidays that's essential to a relationship being fulfilling. If you begin a relationship pretending to share interests, you won't feel fulfilled, or the relationship won't last. Many of us in the Rock'n'roll scene share a love of dancing, and a love of Rock'n'roll. It doesn't matter if we come from the same social class, earn comparable incomes, or work in similar professions - what we share, is a passion for what we do on weekends, in our time together. I believe, this shared passion is an important factor in what makes relationships work. Galea and Chubby's personal story reflects this shared passion that makes a relationship fulfilling, and works to make a couple more than the sum of its parts.

I watched Popa Chubby walk into the Rodeo Bar. He worked the crowd. Whether it came from his heart, or his sense of what you need to do to keep your fans on board and "make it" in the business, I don't know, as this was the first time I'd seen him, but I watched as he made each of his friends, and fans, feel special. Chubby took the time to talk to each one personally, and for that moment focussed on them. It came off to me, as an observer, as genuine, but I realize it may reflect just a savvy man with a highly tuned business sense. 

We've seldom seen bands we feel are "the whole enchilada". Well, Vicious Country seem to be just that - they have a unique sound (playing music as they feel it should be played, rather than as dictated by a style-textbook); an idiosyncratic look (that doesn't feel like costumes for the stage, but seems to reflect their philosophy of life); they play some original material, and when playing covers transmute them, and make them their own; and they make their audience and fans feel valued, as they realize this is what keeps them working. Popa Chubby and Galea also seem to have the knowledge, and commitment, to manage their promotion through articles, photographic representation and image development. Both also are strong songwriters, playing a significant number of originals, as well as morphing others' materials into a meld of their own. They seem to have what you need "to make it" in the music business, and what is needed to drive a Roots music revival of the potency of the Stray Cats 1980s Rockabilly revival. 

I've included this extract from an article on Popa Chubby and Galea as it provides a window into what drives them as musicians, and at the same time, I believe, provides an insight into what makes long term relationships work.