The Melbourne leg of Skipping Girl Vinegar’s – œMusic From Cold Places’ tour was anything but icy. A stage adorned with paper penguins, a miniature lighthouse and paper snow set the scene for a warm performance. Lead singer Mark Lang greeted the audience saying it was great to be back in Melbourne and it was obvious from the wide smiles on the face of each band member that he meant it.
Wandered began with some simmering percussion from drummer Chris Helm, smiling so much I wondered whether he had slicked some Vaseline onto his teeth the way dancers do to maintain a constant grin. The simple truth was, he was just really into it. In fact, the whole band was smiling with huge contented grins. It was wonderful watching a group of musicians who were so peacefully confident and genuinely thrilled to be sharing their music with a home crowd. It was nice to see them all lined up at the front of the stage, instead of the staggered way that bands usually position themselves with the drummer at the back and the singer at the front. This gesture emphasised the considered equality and harmony within the group.
For One Long Week, they welcomed both a trombone and a trumpet player to the stage, adding complexity to their sound. Lang told us that Skipping Girl Vinegar has been described as – œbogan music’ and joked that the band’s own view is that they are actually indie-chic. They embraced this label, asking the audience to get in touch with their inner bogan and called for volunteers to join them on stage, where they held-up some pre-prepared signs that read – œbada da da’ like the chorus of One Long Week. These volunteer sign-holders relished the opportunity to release their inner ocker by demonstrating some exuberant fist-punching in the air, spurred on by an audience who knew the words oh so well. The elated participants then jumped back into the crowd, well satisfied with being dubbed two of Melbourne’s finest bogans by Mark Lang.
The jovial atmosphere then gave way to a softer mood in Sift The Noise. Smooth vocals by Mark Lang and an equally smooth base line by Sare Lang built-up and carried the gentle melody. Here Mark Lang took the opportunity to discuss his jacket, pointing out the picture of a moose on the breast-pocket and more notably the slogan underneath it that read – œthe loyal order of the moose’. This laid the foundations for a gag about starting a moose cult in Australia and a possible theme song for this cult. A hillbilly banjo track played over the PA to the amusement of both the band and the audience.
Fighting With Gravity, Old Time Western and Slow Steady Hand followed, showcasing the band’s musical range. Each instrument joined in to add new layers and textures as the stories behind the songs unfolded. Mark Lang’s deep weaving vocals and delicate acoustic guitar picking coalesced with the gentle and well rehearsed unity of the band, each tune rising to an emotional crescendo.
Mark Lang wasn’t shy about engaging the audience in an anecdote or five. Notable was his recount of the time when the band was staying in a hotel room above a loud, all-night club, which led to an early morning swim in the middle of a freezing-cold, pitch-black morning and the loss of a wedding ring. The owner of the ring was Kate Miller Heidke’s husband, and, as Skipping Girl Vinegar were playing as support band on her tour, it was a delicate situation. They didn’t think taking her husband out for a late night swim causing him to lose the ring was an appropriate way to thank her for having them on the tour. The ending to the story was left untold at this stage as it was high-time for another tune.
River Road was a by-the-camp-fire song that had the whole room singing along in a lovely, albeit a truly corny moment. Mark Lang invited the audience to let go of their inner cool and embrace the moment: they happily did. The deep muffled vibration of the keyboard solo in Wasted proved to be popular, receiving some whoops from the crowd. It was good to have a more upbeat song to clear the sentimental air after River Road, and the audience showed their appreciation with yet more bogan air-punching.
We then heard the end of the story, and Mark Lang triumphantly recounted how he found the ring by the dim light of his mobile phone and joked that he felt like Golum in Lord of The Rings did with his – œprecious’. One Chance again saw audience members join the stage in an all-out hoe down for one of the band’s finest and most loved tracks. The song has a Paul Kelly feel about it: the kind you want to sing along to. This could have been the end but they bounced back on stage for two encore songs that were both gratefully received by the audience.
Skipping Girl Vinegar had a personable edge that made for a relaxed atmosphere where they really shared their music with the audience rather than just playing mechanically from start to finish. The anecdotes that littered their set, although a bit tedious at times, enabled the audience to get a perspective about what influenced their music and the warm, friendly personalities within the band. Their music is very easy on the ear. They came across as easy-going musicians who give their whole selves when performing.
to listen to their music now on 
