2012 saw the 40th Anniversary of the seminal Rolling Stones album Exile On Main St.
Initially celebrated at Cherry Bar earlier this year, the launch of the Yarraville Club as a live music venue sees the coming together of some of Melbourne’s favourite rock n rollers to perform the acclaimed album in its entirety.
Helmed by Stones lover and Cherry owner James Young, the Yarraville Club gig serves as both a celebration and a litmus test for future gigs at the venue.
Achieving the rare feat of getting lost in the tiny suburb of Yarraville means arriving just in time to hear Dave Larkin’s take on “Tumbling Dice” accompanied by the gorgeous Wolfgramm Sisters.
Larkin’s crunched gravel vocals are in perfect contrast with the honeyed tones of the three backup singers and from the après dinner group at the back to the more exuberant punters inching closer and closer to the front of the stage, the entire room is already well and truly into the swing of things.
Turning the record over to side two, an early highlight of the evening comes in the form of Nick Barker’s rendition of country tinged sing-a-long “Sweet Virginia”. Strutting onto the stage all slinky-hipped, Barker bumps and grinds his way through the song accompanied by a rollicking, hoedown ready sax.
Ash Naylor takes to the stage for “Torn And Frayed” but not before ribbing a keys player. “Brucie Haymes on the piano, ladies and gentleman – the mayor of Northcote. He had to get his passport stamped at Footscray road”.
The rotating list of singers is impressive but a big hats off must be extended to the Exile Band; Carl Treasure, Bruce Haymes, Ben Curnow, Ryan Brown, Ben Marsland, Jack Howard and Simon Aarons wrangle with the genre hopping tracks while making it all look too easy for us instrumentally challenged mortals.
As Barker tackles “Happy”, he mirrors the feeling of the entire room. It is a genuinely joyous affair that is reflected in faces of each and every punter.
Matt Sonic smashes out the back to back pairing “Turd On The Run” and “Ventilator Blues” accompanied by the multi talented Ryan Kemp on harmonica.
Sonic is pure rock n roll and it is a shame that the occasional sound problems plaguing the evening hit him smack bang during both of his songs. Undeterred, he kicks on as Carl Treasure swoops in for a swaggering guitar solo.
The absolute standout artists for the evening are the ever present Wolfgramm Sisters. Not only do they bring some much needed pretty to the stage, their soulful harmonies send shivers and Talei Wolfgramm brings the room to a standstill during “I Just Want To See His Face.”
As the record is changed one last time, organiser James Young takes to the stage to thank and acknowledge the commitment of such a huge group of talented artists in learning one of the greatest and most difficult albums – not only by the Stones, but in rock n roll history.
Having mastered the Mick Jagger dance moves handbook, Nick Barker spins through the beginning of the end with “All Down The Line”.
Just when it looks like he is set to steal the show, the closest thing to the devil on this green earth, perpetual crowd pleaser Spencer P. Jones glides onto the stage. Clutching a bottle of red which he swigs liberally from the bottle, Jones turns his elegantly dirty old man vocals and a pair of maracas to “Stop Breaking Down”.
The beautiful Eliza Wolfgramm then silences the crowd with an achingly beautiful “Shine A Light”, a sparkling gem in a diamond mine of a show.
With a “don’t tune up on my account motherfuckers”, Jones is back to close off the night with “Sole Survivor” before being joined by the entire lineup of singers and musicians for an encore of “Street Fighting Man” and “Brown Sugar”. As the performers try to dodge stray limbs and guitar necks, the front of stage dissolves into a singing and dancing mass that stays on long after the show is over.
Walking out into the cold night air, one is left with a smile and curious mind as to what will come next for the new venue that could top such a fitting tribute as toight’s.
