Former Skyhooks’ guitarist Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie took his Rock and Roll Band to The Union Club in Richmond on Saturday night (29 April) for a three-hour trip through the rock and roll songbook.
The Union Club is the new music venue for 40+ music fans to experience live music in Melbourne. The club is the brainchild of music biz impresario Julie Cavanagh, who designed the venue for fans of real live music to gather even few weeks for a full night of quality entertainment.
Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie threw in a few Skyhooks tracks but the show was mainly rock and roll covers that influenced young Bob to initially join a band. Most notably was a set rich in Chuck Berry tunes with “Memphis Tennessee’, ‘You Never Can Tell’, ‘The Promised Land’ as well as the perfect fit Berry’s ‘Let It Rock’, once covered by Skyhooks with Bongo even including the ‘Hooks unique ‘coughing solo’ as part of his Union Club show.
Of course, no-one was prepared to go home until Bongo played a few Skyhooks songs. ‘Jukebox In Siberia’ and ‘All My Friends Are Getting Married’ rounded off the night.
Bongo’s band featured some of Melbourne’s best. Steve Williams and sax and harp and George Butrumlis on keys and accordion added in the one-liners to get a few laughs. Bongo had Andrew Scott on bass with additional vocals from the more than excellent Katie Thompson.
There is more to come from the Union Club:
May 13 – The Recliners and The Jetsons
May 27 – Majestic Diva Show with The Killer Bs, featuring Mae Parker, Wendy Stapleton and Nikki Nicholls
