Meet The Real Songwriter's Of Melbourne
On cold and wet
Sunday afternoon, struggling to find parking due to a dog show, I made my way
to Fitzroy's The Workers Club for a great musical cause. I had been invited by
my new friend Jena Marino to attend her event with the intention that I would
write about it. This opportunity I couldn't miss, even taking work off to be
present. I have been following Jena's initiative 'The Real Songwriters Of Melbourne' (RSOM) for sometime now and absolutely love the work they are
doing. Described by its Founder and Editor Jena as “a Melbourne music initiative
designed to give artists the opportunity to share their story and their music.
Whether it be a feature profile on our website, an episode on our web
series Real Songwriters TV, or in one of our live shows called Real
Songwriters Live, RSOM always puts the best interests of the musicians at
heart.”
Melbourne is a
musical city, with music gigs running every night. Giving a backbone to the
countless new acts trying to share their music to the masses. We are basically
spoilt for choice. However those not selling out venues such as Festival Hall
or Margaret Court Arena, have to try to convince crowds to leave Netflix and
come down to support live music. This is the one of the biggest challenge
that independent acts can have. But with the support of such initiative
as RSOM, acts can have a platform to
showcase their talents and touch a wider audience that embraces music at it's
core. Platforms like this help spread the word that there is so much music out
there to be discovered if you can be bothered to look for it. RSOM shares the
same main goals that I try to portray with this blog. It is so important that
we support our local music scene, go out to the little pubs and bars, and
experience the untapped talent.
So on this semi
stormy afternoon at The Workers Club, I was out in full music mode. I was
excited that I would be on the door list and was ready to take it all in. I had
listened to a few songs of each of the 3 bands playing, so I had a vibe
already. But an act can be so different live, so had my ears peeled. The turn
out was minimal, as a Sunday arvo is a hard time to sell and the weather didn't
help.The Workers Club isn't exactly Wembley Stadium, so there was enough of a
supportive crowd to give the acts some loving. It was nice actually, it had a
chilled atmosphere. The idea of the night was to be a showcase, featuring acts
that have worked with RSOM. They were all different in their styles, so there
was plenty of variety.
Photo by Andy Matsinos
Mo Louie was first to take the stage with her fiery red locks. A big
voice, which is evenly matched by her big personality. She
reminded me of Adele, not the voice or looks, but the way she sings
all proper and serious but between songs is kinda awkward and playful.
To the point of missing her cue, due to forgetting the words to her own song that she wrote
all the lyrics to. For me it just adds to the experience, you get to
be wowed by the voice and get a free giggle here and there. Mo Louie smashes
out a range of Jazz/Soul pop songs with lots of power, a real treat.
Her cover of Chet Faker's 'To Me' was a nice touch and gave me a
chance to sing along, as I didn't know the words to her other
beauties. She finished her set off with a tribute to someone she was
close to, who had just past away overseas. Making all my hairs stand
up. I love Mo Louie's style, going in and out of classic styles but
still keeping it current. I only wish she had a full band to build
her songs up, giving it more power
Photo by Thomas Overend (Worth A Shot Productions)
New to Melbourne,
Connor Ross brought his guitar and loop pedal to the stage and a presence that
was graceful. Starting off with a few soft folky songs with a blues twist, Ross
then used his loop to create a new edge to his music. Stating that if he taps
his guitar, making a drum sound and loops it, he doesn't have to pay for a
drummer. Ross's voice is strong and his songwriting is clever. Singing about
moving to new cities and his time back home by the country and ocean. I love Connor Ross's style, he is warm and inviting, offering his stories with a influences of Jazz and Blues. Perfect
for a rainy day to warm your soul.
Photo by Bri Hammond
Jena and her team
should be extremely proud of their work with promoting local bands. They are
giving them a platform where they can get discovered by music lovers that they
might not be able to reach from their own social media platforms. RSOM cares
about their work and I hope that they keep going with their amazing work, as
it's so important. Look forward to seeing where each band and RSOM go in the
future.
