With Cash & Leah
by Sam Regi
Cash and Leah's journey led them to the picturesque coastal suburb of Nudgee Beach, where they discovered the beauty of unexpected connections and the magic of new beginnings. Leaving behind their previous lives in Perth, they embarked on an adventure that would forever change their path. It was in this little slice of heaven that they found solace and a sense of belonging, surrounded by a close-knit community that welcomed them with open arms.
Press play to listen to an extract from the conversation with Cash and Leah.
"You are how amazing you are.
I'm just a mirror.
You're the most significant person in my life. I'm very thankful for you," Cash says to Leah.
5/35 Minutes
LEAH
So my name is Leah and.
00:00:11:22 - 00:00:14:00
CASH
We live in Nudgee Beach.
00:00:14:02 - 00:00:21:22
LEAH
Yeah. And the significance of this place? Well. Hmm. How did we end up here?
00:00:21:24 - 00:00:23:02
CASH
It was an adventure, wasn't it?
00:00:23:03 - 00:00:30:10
LEAH
We came over from Perth and we had no idea where we were going to live. No.
00:00:30:12 - 00:00:31:05
CASH
No idea at all.
00:00:31:05 - 00:00:42:20
LEAH
All. We were just going on an adventure. We knew that we wanted to come to Queensland and we knew we wanted to land in Brisbane because this is where we're both from. While I'm from up north. You're from here.
00:00:42:22 - 00:01:04:03
CASH
So I wanted to come back and. My name's Cash, by the way. We wanted to come back and have a look at the place, how much has changed. And so we made a decision to cross the country and magically acquired the perfect car to do the journey. And we had the big adventure and then came here.
00:01:04:03 - 00:01:07:18
LEAH
And because my uncle lives two doors up, well.
00:01:07:20 - 00:01:09:11
CASH
Until a few days ago, he's now gone.
00:01:09:11 - 00:01:20:17
LEAH
But he did. And he said, Why don't you just stay in our place until you find a place to land? And so we did. And then a month later.
00:01:20:19 - 00:01:22:00
CASH
This place came.
00:01:22:02 - 00:01:30:24
LEAH
Up for rent, two doors up and we fell in love with this place, and with Nudgee Beach. It's just a little sanctuary. It's a little heaven.
00:01:30:24 - 00:01:36:18
CASH
It's. You wouldn't know you were in Brisbane. It's so quiet. Everybody knows everybody.
00:01:36:18 - 00:01:39:08
LEAH
Really close knit little community here.
00:01:39:10 - 00:02:03:05
CASH
Only 130 houses. Yeah. And you wouldn't, you wouldn't know that Brisbane's just 10 minutes and just over that bridge. It's a very significant place for us because we were the only people who applied for this house to rent during at the beginning of the pandemic because the day it came up for inspection, the pandemic restrictions came in and nobody could come to inspect it. But we live two doors up and the estate agent lives just a short way away. So we were the only ones who got to inspect it. Yeah, so we got it.
00:02:09:11 - 00:02:10:12
LEAH
So we got the house.
00:02:10:14 - 00:02:13:21
CASH
Which was it was such very easy.
00:02:13:22 - 00:02:32:24
LEAH
And so then we moved in and here we are and Rani (their dog) loves it. Loves it.
Portrait of Cash on film.
Contact Sheet for Cash and Leah.
LEAH
What have been some of the happiest moments in your life and why is this accomplishment particularly important to you?
00:02:33:01 - 00:02:59:10
CASH
The happiest moments of my life are easy. That's the dreaming day. We used to play these concerts. We used to tour the world playing music, these beautiful concerts that were all night long, and people would come and bring their beds and their pajamas and they'd go to sleep and they dream to our music, improvised music. So we played a lot of Arabic style music and Indian music and, you know, lots of Arabic and Indian instruments just because we like to play that way. And I think that was that was that was one of a peak experiences of my life. I was playing those eight hour concerts and not knowing what we're going to play next. Improvising the whole thing the whole time and how it affected people. I think that was that was the best fun. That was the best fun.
00:03:23:12 - 00:03:30:19
LEAH
Can you tell me about a moment when a person's kindness made a difference in your life?
00:03:30:21 - 00:03:54:13
CASH
Yes. I was working in 1983 at Glastonbury Festival in the Green Room, which is where all the musicians gather before they go on stage. If you don't know what a green room is. And everybody has coffee and they. My job was to tune people's guitars. So I was going around tuning everybody's guitars. I had no idea who these people were. I didn't know. I was just not clued into the popular culture. So I didn't know I was tuning guitars for Bob Dylan or Joan Baez or people like that. And I, I saw a fella sit in a corner with a coffee and I saw that he was tuning guitar. So I went over and I said, Look, that's that's my job. And he said, Not my guitar, it isn't. And I said, Well, you know, you're struggling. Let me do it. And I've got perfect pitch. So I did it really quickly, handed it to him and he said, You want a job? And that changed my life because he was a famous musician. And I got into the center of of of this whole rock music world, which was something I never thought I'd ever. Yeah. So his kindness, he saw that I twitched and I stuttuered a lot in those days and he saw that I was different. And he was also different. And he saw that spark in me that was similar. So he took me under his wing.
00:04:57:03 - 00:04:59:08
LEAH
That was wonderful. And who was that?
00:04:59:10 - 00:05:02:24
CASH
David Jones. Yeah, it's the Jones. Bowie.
00:05:03:01 - 00:05:08:19
LEAH
David Bowie. Can you tell me about the important people in your life?
00:05:08:19 - 00:05:37:15
CASH
You. Tell me about you. The important people in my life. Well, this sentient being here is fairly significant. But you're the most significant force in my life. And you? (to their dog) Well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, she is. And you'll come a close second. She was around before you. Yeah. You've changed my life. You changed my life because I didn't have a high self-esteem until.
00:05:37:15 - 00:05:43:09
CASH
I met you. I didn't realize.
00:05:43:11 - 00:05:55:07
CASH
And I'm thankful for that. You forcing me, kicking and screaming to be told. Sometimes quite literally.
00:05:55:09 - 00:05:59:13
LEAH
And to see how amazing you are.
00:05:59:13 - 00:06:18:23
CASH
You are amazing. I'm just a mirror. So you're the most significant person. Very thankful for you, for your support, especially during this time. It's been really lovely and.
00:06:19:00 - 00:06:21:01
LEAH
It's the least I can do.
00:06:21:03 - 00:06:24:23
CASH
I'm sorry. I got sick.
00:06:25:00 - 00:06:31:23
LEAH
Well, something greater must be coming. Must be. You're going to be more help to me on the other side.