For the premiere performance of Perfect Tripod: Australian Songs, a near electric buzz filled the stalls of the Arts Centre Playhouse.
The incredibly diverse crowd writhed with excitement in their notably comfortable seats; a far cry from the beer-stained carpets on which many a Tripod fan have had to endure standing in years prior.
Their anticipation was warranted. After all, troupes of Aussies were about to witness the newfound union known as Perfect Tripod, comprising of Melbourne’s renowned musical comic threesome and actor/comedian/musician/Shane Warne impersonator, Eddie Perfect.
Following the fanfare surrounding their haunting a capella rendition of Paul Kelly’s ‘Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air’ in 2007, this debut concert from Perfect Tripod was well overdue; and well worth the wait.
If the title of the Australiana musical hat-tip sounds a bit naff, that’s because, well, it is. However, taking into consideration the harmonic allure within their opening – a pitch-perfect performance of Australia’s ‘other’ national anthem ‘Waltzing Matilda’ – the beaming audience didn’t seem to mind much.
Scott Edgar (Scod), Simon Hall (Yon), Steven Gates (Gatesy), and Eddie Perfect (…Eddie), instantly establish their visibly close rapport with one another as they banter freely on stage. Specifically, they are quick to reference the presence of a small table, draped with an Australian flag.
The table sported four beer bottles, each containing a varied level of brew. On the back of each bottle, the letter of a musical note was drawn in what looked to be whiteout.
Yes, these were referred to fondly as the “tuning forks” for the evening; possibly the world’s most practical implementation of ye olde bottle-whistle party trick.
It could easily be claimed by some that by executing a nationally themed concert, Perfect Tripod were teetering dangerously on the edge of being trite.
Compellingly it was their veritable musical intuitiveness, and strong vocal talent, that instead made Australian Songs a captivating collection of “hard-hitting a capella.”
Armed with unparalleled comic timing, the incredibly endearing group brought new life to some otherwise obvious classics. An interpretation of Little River Band’s ‘Reminiscing’ saw Gates attempting to dismiss Edgar, Hall, and Perfect’s hilarious jeers, which were not-so-subtly masked as doo-wop backing vocals.
Their take on Kylie Minogue’s ‘Better The Devil You Know’ presented pop side-stepping to put Human Nature to shame, before Edgar was able to take stock of his close resemblance to “all three” of the Bee Gee brothers, following their presentation of ‘How Deep Is Your Love’.
Perhaps most entertaining were the “Johnny Farnham” refrains underlining one of their climactic closing numbers, ‘You’re The Voice’.
Equally theatrical, however, was the delightfully incorrigible ensemble’s presentation of Lanie Lane’s ‘That’s What You Get (Falling In Love With A Cowboy)’.
In their portrayal of Lane’s saloon-door-swinging song, Perfect seems to comprise about 80% of the group’s accumulative testosterone, rumbling his bass vocal line from beneath a cowboy hat, with one leg resting up on an amp.
Engaging as the humour was, the evening’s stand out moments were undoubtedly marked by the sincerity with which this unlikely quartet delivered a host of truly beautiful arrangements.
Revered silence permeated the Playhouse as the group reinvented Gotye’s ‘Hearts A Mess’, using their voices impressively to recreate the sounds of a didgeridoo.
Tight harmonies perfectly complimented a genuinely heartfelt performance of Claire Bowditch’s ‘The One’, and perhaps against all odds, a comparably moving cover of Kasey Chambers’ ‘Not Pretty Enough’.
As expected, their adaptation of Kelly’s ‘Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air’, was spellbinding.
These charismatic musicians have certainly harnessed their distinctive performance styles, and stand-out vocal abilities, to create a genuinely engaging collaboration. Hopefully, this will be the first of many broader musical endeavours as Perfect Tripod.
