within the music

Blind Folded Night In Melbourne's Music Scene

Last Saturday night I went out with a few friends to a pretty hip bar/music venue called The Workers Club in Fitzroy, Melbourne. We were there for dinner, to see a band that most of us have seen before and of course for a good time. We certainly achieved all this, but for me there was a little cherry on top. Something that I knew existed but haven't seen for a while. Something that made me proud. Something that made me feel lucky.

Recently I have spent my $$$ on medium/larger musical acts, where they have a firm fan base and supports have been catered for them. Nothing wrong with this, just you already know what you are in store for and if you have no clue on the supports then there is a huge chance they will be within your music bracket. It's comforting especially with ticket prices these days. But it's nice to go out and experience the unknown. You never know, you may be blown away.

So we went to the Workers Club to see The Twoks, a band my sister first saw a few years back at our local music hub, Sookies Lounge and raved about them. Saturday night was the second time I've seen them and I was keen for another dose of their antics. The band consists of two, a vocalist/violinist and a drummer. Gee the violin amazes me, I can't even comprehend how it all works. Played right it sounds amazing, but played wrong it's a screeching mess, certainly a fine line. But in this case the two instruments bring a whole lot of power and I could listen for hours. The Twoks' energy, spirit and talent just oozes over the crowd and is always lapped up. I especially liked watching the intenseness of the drummer's stare for his brightly dressed band mate. Something going on there, not sure? You have to go out and see The Twoks live, it's an experience that you just need.

The Twoks were the middle act of the night, with two other acts that I hadn't heard of before on the line up. This is where I got my cherry on top. The night was a roller coaster and I was riding it blind folded. The three acts were so different, but it worked so well. When we first walked into the venue, Georgia Spain was trancing the crowd with her oddly sweet sounding voice, finger picking and lyrics of self doubt. There wasn't another sound in the small room, people were just sitting down and enjoying Georgia pour her heart out. It felt nice to just watch, without all the pushing and shoving you can get at larger venues with bigger acts.

Then the Twoks jumped on stage and turned it up. Playing their pop dance music, which creates the happy. During a giant instrumental, one guy runs up to the stage and breaks into a rapid dance spasm. This encourages others who wanted to dance but were too scared to be first, to jump up and boogie. Soon the room is full of movement.

Sadly The Twoks ended, and ScrimshawFour ( The Scrims) took the stage. I noticed the band was full of strings with a double bass, violin, banjo and an electric guitar. Not really sure what to expect, I got another beer and was ready for whatever might happen. A totally different sound, like something that would be played in a Tarantino movie. I guess a Blue grass/Gypsy vibe. The lead singer's voice was deep and gravely, and with a party of springs it was an overwhelming sounds that encouraged foot stomping. It was so much fun and at this stage everyone was committed.  

I walked out thinking wow, a prime time Summer Saturday night in a trendy part of Melbourne and you can be granted with three different acts that don't play on any commercial radio stations, nor trying to market to a certain genre. They are creating something unique and in the process people jump on board and have some fun. A night full of adventure and it made me feel damn proud and lucky to live where I live.