The 3XY Top 40 show at Memo Music Hall in Melbourne last weekend had a spot-on format.
The show’s producer Simon Myers created a show based around the proverbial radio cliché ‘Hit and Memories’ and delivered with a smorgasbord of components that ensures this show could become a regular fixture at the St Kilda venue.
There were five main parts to the formula. The band, the right songs, the radio announcer, the radio jingles and ads of the era.
MC John Peters was a perfect choice for the show. John was one of the star radio announcers of 3XY in its heyday as a Top 40 station. John brought authenticity to the show linking the live songs with his pre-announce, back-announce intros and outros.
The old 3XY jingles and even a Choc Wedge ad were placed between the performances. The songs were all chosen from this exact week 40 years ago and the performers chosen to fit the song. No-one fiddled with the era. They all kept it true to the moment.
Eugene Hamilton handled the classic rock songs like Styx’s ‘Babe’ and Kiss’ ‘Sure Know Something’. George Wilson conducted the electronica Mi-Sex ‘Computer Games’ and Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’, Nina Ferro played an excellent Ellen Foley ‘We Belong To The Night’, Colleen Hewitt ‘Dreaming My Dreams With You’ and teamed up with Janine Maunder for the Summer/Streisand classic ‘No More Tears’. Nick Barker dug deep with the obscure Aliens ‘Confrontation’, a song that really tested your 3XY loyalty,
No More Tears at the 3XY show at @memomusichall pic.twitter.com/gt1lC15VhL
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There were just so many great parts to this show. Everyone deserves a mention. Tony Pantano was a real fun surprise doing Umberto Tozzi’s ‘Ti Amo’.
What a surprise this was. @TonyPantano performing Ti Amo at the 3XY show at @memomusichall pic.twitter.com/PwmltklGWq
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Jacqueline and Susie from Babba had a lot of training for Abba so, as you would expect, ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’ was perfect.
Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man After Midnight at @memomusichall #3XY show pic.twitter.com/altcInTffh
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Andrew De Silva was an excellent choice for Michael Jackson and The Jacksons ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ and ‘Blame It On The Boogie’, JR Reyne stung with The Police’s ‘Message In A Bottle’, the David Brothers absolutely nailed ‘The Devil Went Down To Georgia’.
The @davidsonbrother performing @CharlieDaniels The Devil Went Down To Georgia at the 3XY show at @memomusichall pic.twitter.com/gGiYrJMuot
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Message In A Bottle at the 3XY show at @memomusichall pic.twitter.com/yVixf3WKLk
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Kylie Auldist doing Chisel’s ‘Choir Girl’ and KC and the Sunshine Band’s ‘Please Don’t Go’ was true to both originals and Brian Mannix (and his megaphone) won the audience with ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’.
Video Killed The Radio Star by Brian Mannix at the 3XY show at @memomusichall pic.twitter.com/UTnin6o6X0
— Noise11.com (@Noise11Tweets) January 20, 2020
What is truly incredible. All of these songs were Top 40 hits at the same time. Compare that to the crap of today. Yes kiddies, once upon a time real musician and real songwriters actually made real songs. Go figure!
Simon Myers gave us the music bio shows of Etta James, Bon Scott, Gram Parsons and Eva Cassidy. He knows how to curate a story with music. This could have been just a covers show. Instead, it was a genuine musical production worthy of repeating often.
Keeping the show to the music of the exact week of 40 years earlier means it will be a completely different setlist next time. So bring it on Simon Myers. This one is a winner.
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