It was a cold and stormy night… the perfect weather to stay indoors tucked into bed, but a small handful of die-hard Eskimo Joe fans braved the storm to go down to the Rocket Room for Kav Temperley’s solo acoustic show.
Many recognisable faces from the Perth music scene could be seen around the joint before anything began. Ben Witt of The Chemist was the first to stand on stage, shyly, probably because he lacked the rest of his band, but there is no reason for shyness, because he turns out the tunes rather well. They are catchy, melodic, borderline post-rock and he hits all the chops. Witt knows how to use a loop pedal like no other, at times making it seem like an entire band were with him on stage. Memorable moments include rocking out during Lullaby and of course, singing into his guitar pickup during Hole in the Roof.
Steve Parkin is no stranger to the music scene. Having fronted/been in countless bands over the years, his experience was clear as he stepped on stage confident and beaming with excitement. Exhibiting songs from the past and from his upcoming solo album, he wooed the crowd with his husky tones and fascinating facial expressions. Starlight and Vacuum Man were popular with his regular fans as well as Sad Girls which saw him joined by colleague and long time friend Hugh Jennings on keys and backing vocals.
By this time, the weather had improved and so had the numbers. Starting with a cover of Roy Orbison’s Crying, Kav Temperley proved himself able to hold his own without the rest of the band. There is a nice intimate feel to the Rocket Room, everything is so cosy; the stage is adorned with a red velvet curtain and no one is afraid to get right up close and personal. The venue suited the mood perfectly. Showcasing new tunes from The Eskies’ upcoming fourth studio album, even if you couldn’t sing along you could appreciate quality and get a little excited about said album.
Of course, there were some older tracks thrown in; Sarah provoked a sing-along from drunken patrons and all seems to be going well until he stopped. Temperley laughed and said he was distracted by the paparazzi-style photography going on at the front by his promo manager. So we start again. A little further in he stopped again. “I’ve got the wrong guitar” he said. After much debate on whether he should skip it or start again, the crowd convinced him to start again and this time he managed to finish.
Temperley amused the crowd with tales of drunken collaborations with Parkin and showed us what they had came up with – the best parts of a Depeche Mode and an Otis Redding song and it doesn’t sound too bad at all. Competing with the ever-increasing doof-doof sounds “stripper music” from surrounding clubs, Temperley fares well and is even joined on stage by Parkin on keys and backing vocals for their cover of Listen Joe by Golden Smog. Finishing up nicely with From the Sea, the crowd left feeling content and thinking this was definitely worth getting out of bed for.
See Garage’s Paparazzi pictures HERE
