Under the Bonnet

Under the Bonnet - a mental health roadshow written and performed by Dinesh Moylan

A mental health episode or diagnosis doesn’t have to be a life sentence, it can be the first paragraph of a new story, the journey towards healing, self-discovery and meaning.

Amateur DIY psychotherapist Dinesh Moylan invites you into his backyard shed for a look at his mind stripped down to bare bolts on the workbench. With stories, songs and a few jokes he recounts how, after almost blowing his mind up and writing himself off as a teenager, he began a long road-trip to recovery, collecting a tool-kit of mental survival techniques along the way.

You will hear tales of epic parties in squats in Kingston, Canberra; the benefits of screaming alone in the forest; first glimpses of meditation during an LSD trip, and ground-breaking therapy groups at the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Ashram in India in 1977.

The stories are illustrated with 10 songs - unique baritone guitar tunings and sitar-like slide guitar, a style he describes as ‘Country and Eastern’. Country in the sense of a 45 year relationship with the forests and rivers of far south coast NSW, Eastern in the sense of a lifetime connection with ancient meditation practices and traditions.

Along the way he shares some practical tips including unconventional ways of sneaking up on mindfulness.

Dinesh has been performing his original songs in various lineups and as a solo performer for 40 years. Hehas recorded five albums of original songs, music for film, and is about to publish a memoir, Wildlife.

Doors open at 6, and the show starts at 7. Dinner, cake and chai will be available, made by the CoCo Kitchen. The show runs for an hour and fifty minutes and contains adult themes.

www.dineshmoylan.com