Currently on the road with You Am I performing their classic early albums live as part of the Daily Double Tour, Tim Rogers is also set to spread his musical charm across the nation’s television screens as the host of Studio At The Memo, a new six part music show that premieres on Foxtel’s SBS-run subscription channel STUDIO this Tuesday 16th July.
As previously reported, the new series focuses on a series of cabaret, burlesque, dance, comedy, theatre and music performances with a range of A-list musical guests and filmed live on location at St. Kilda’s new arts hub, The Memo.
In the lead-up to the Tim Rogers-hosted Studio At The Memo hitting TV screens, some teaser footage has surfaced online to promote the new music show; including a commercial reeling off the list of musical guests and a classy showing from Abbe May duetting with Tim Rogers on a performance of ‘I Just Want To Make Love To You’.
The 30-second teaser (as seen in the banner) shows off performances from Bernard Fanning, Kate Miller-Heidke, Martha Wainwright, Mojo Juju, and a slice of Tex Perkins hamming it up for the small screen, with introductions from a dapper looking Tim Rogers.
Previous reports confirm that the likes of Don Walker, Kaki King, Paul Capsis, and VulgarGrad are also set to appear during the series, while FasterLouder reports that other guests include “mind-bending contortionist” Ruby Rubberlegs, members from the Circus Oz troupe, and circus performer Anna Lumb.
The debut episode goes to air on Tuesday 16th July at 8.30pm and features Beasts of Bourbon/Dark Horses ringleader Tex Perkins, Aussie entertainer Todd McKenney (of Dancing With The Stars fame), prolific lounge lizard Dave Graney, Winners And Losers’ Virginia Gay, and former Leonardo’s Bride frontwoman Abby Dobson and singer Lara Goodridge appearing as French cabaret pair Baby et Lulu, with Rogers crooning along.
The new series come courtesy of Renegade Productions, the team behind popular SBS music quiz show RockWiz, and filmed at the 400 capacity seat St Kilda venue The Memo, which relaunched in March with a tribute show to local legend Rowland S. Howard.
Speaking to Screen Hub in April, Renegae Films’ director of development, Peter Bain-Hogg said the series was “closer to Jools Holland than it is to Australian Idol.. It’s about the integrity of the artists, it’s about providing a platform for them without necessarily taking the piss out of them which is what Hey, Hey, It’s Saturday Night often did. It’s about it being a serious arts program.”
Bain-Hogg added that the selection of artists was based on those “you would not necessarily see on any other television show. STUDIO was very keen to provide a platform that nobody else would.”
Studio At The Memo couldn’t have arrived at a better time or better fulfilled Bain-Hogg’s mission statement; a welcome addition to an Australian broadcasting landscape that is severely lacking in performance opportunities for homegrown musicians, and encouraging following the recent, disappointing news that Spicks And Specks return to the ABC – presumably with a new look and new regular cast – had been delayed until 2014 while the broadcaster focussed on other programs (such as the lacklustre quiz show replacement, Tractor Monkeys).
In related music TV news, the roster is also expanding with The Bump, a televised expansion of Sydney radio station 2Day FM’s program of the same name. The new program channels the spirit of clip shows like Video Hits, reviving the tradition on Saturday morning screenings, from 10am, for a whopping three hours of music.
