The Alabama 3 are deceptively named because not only are they not from Alabama, there’s three times as many members than one might be led to believe. Out in Australia for the first time, however, the Alabama 3 (or perhaps UK 9) were cut back to only four members and stripped of their regular instruments with the exception of one guitar and one harmonica. This was because this British group who look and sound American were performing a small number of acoustic shows for Australian fans. The Alabama 3 might be better known for their efforts providing the Soprano’s theme song, but these ministers in the First Presleyterian Church of Elvis the Divine (with stage names both terrific and tragic) are worth a lot more than one song.
Robot Army began the night to a rather minimal group of early comers. In fact, only until the last minute it seemed as though the Sunday-night-factor might once again kick the Hi Fi Bar in the teeth in relation to crowd numbers. Robot Army delivered a set full of distant and muffled sounding rock tunes. Considering the few people that were in the venue, frontman Rexi seemed to get a fair response from the crowd after each song. This could have been due to people appreciating Rexi’s innocent awkwardness and cracks about the size of the water they give you when you play in a bigger venue (the Hi Fi gave him a nice big jug to take on stage, sipping lid and all). Rexi even made sure he ask anyone in the room to offer him some more gigs.
Next up were Gold Coasters, Roger That. Bassist Lach Leckie and drummer Dan Briffa opened the set with a strong bouncing jam that really got people interested (and looking up from the bar). Guitarist Jimmy Young and singer Jesse Bailey joined their band mates on stage and began to deliver their fast, reggae inspired rock tunes. Whilst Bailey’s vocals seemed to take a while to warm up, and the beginnings of each song seemed a little shaky, the three with instruments really made up for it, with Hendrix-esque guitar riffs and bass lines that moved back and forth between thumping and soulful. Roger That were playing music that people could dance to with no worries, yet the ever-so-slightly growing crowd seemed content to sit on the floor and watch, even with Bailey asking for a dance. Having never played to a Melbourne crowd before, Roger That really seemed to prove themselves first time round, and by throwing in a Cream cover, ‘Sunshine Of You Love’, they even had people singing along.
Alabama 3 were set up on four stools, each with a microphone except Rock Freebase on guitar. The men appeared in their complete country persona, cowboy hats, big sunglasses and open shirts, along with the beautiful Devlin Love. Harpo Strangelove began with harmonica before Freebase joined in and got the whole thing started, yet the crowd still remained lounged about on the floor as Larry Love sang on. Three songs in and Larry let everyone know that he didn’t appreciate all the “hippy shit” and that it didn’t matter that he hadn’t brought all his techno gear, everyone should still be up dancing. And so everyone did, and from that point on the Hi Fi became one big “country ho-down”, or as Larry would like to have called it, a rave.
The crowd was labelled the Alabama 3’s congregation and as such had the role of joining in on everything the band got up to. Dancing, clapping and singing along were a must for the majority of fans, and both Devlin and Larry revelled in the high level of participation they eventually got from their crowd. Larry seemed to talk a hell of a lot between songs, generally either discussing the songs, or his desire for cocaine. A love of Johnny Cash was most evident with Larry Love, as he continuously praised the Man in Black. A cover of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ ensued, along with a guest guitarist from Ballarat. Jumping onto the floor, Larry challenged anyone to a Cash impersonation contest, to which he received very minimal response with the exception of a couple of girls brave enough to give it a shot. The four then began their tribute to the man: ‘Hello…I’m Johnny Cash’.
Further prompting brought high levels of participation for sing along tracks in which the crowd seemed to take over at times. Devlin offered the crowd the microphone as the crowd sang “whoop whoop” and she and Larry replied “it’s the sound of the police”, and everyone sang and bopped along to ‘Woke Up This Morning’, the tune that the band say bought someone a swimming pool, just none of them (referring to it’s popularity as the Soprano’s theme song). Larry’s dancing was most definitely a highlight, notably his interpretation of a rave as he flapped his hands about strangely. ‘You Don’t Dance To Techno Anymore’ was well received and highlighted the fact the group were playing acoustically, without all their usual special effects. And Sunday night blues were put to rest as the foursome appropriately belted out ‘Monday Don’t Mean A Thing,’ to which people appropriately responded to with loud singing.
The band that call themselves “a punk rock, blues and country techno situationist crypto-Marxist-Leninist electro band” finished up in the Hi Fi leaving grins all round and having converted surely a bunch of punters who scored freebies the Hi Fi were so eagerly giving away. Larry Love promised to return in February or March next year and try to bring the whole crew along with him.
Photos courtesy of Anthony Smith.
