Reviewed by: Georgia Cassimatis
The much anticipated, electrifying 27 Club has finally hit Sydney for this year’s Sydney Fringe Festival, after its star billing success at the Adelaide Fringe.
A tribute to rock legends Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix, it is set to shake the famous Sydney Spiegeltent to its core, with its demand from Gen Xers and Boomers, high. Their prayers for an authentic and raw re-living of their RockGod idols, answered.
Just a wee history lesson for those not in the know, the 27 Club is known as that elusive and tragic club where Rock Idols died young. It became known after the famous grunge singer from Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994 was paralleled to him dying at the same age as Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimmi Hendrix. When Amy Winehouse died at the age of 27 in 2011, it gave the group even more tragic kudos.
Hence the birth of the show 27 Club: a tribute by Australian rock icons to those talented legends taken away too young.
Billed a live Rockumentary, the band, starring vocalist superstars Carla Lippis, dubbed the ‘satanic Liza Minelli’ (Mondo Psycho), Sarah McCleod ( SuperJesus), Dusty Lee Stephenson (The Wanderers), Justin Buford (Rock of Ages) with lachy Doley (Keys(, Danny Deo (drums), Tim Curnick (bass) and Cam Blokland (Guitar), they were all so brilliant you felt they were channelling the Rock Gods from above. Dusty Lee was eerily similar to Jim Morrison, as was Burford’s rendition of Kurt Cobain, while McCleod’s version of Janis Joplin was electrifying. Voices in the crowd were constantly in awe, with comments: ‘This is amazing!’ while the perma-smiles on all the predominantly Gen X faces looked like they had finally found ‘heaven’ in the rebirthing of their idols.
Of particular note, were the insighful stories of the legendary artists which were interwoven throughout the show. Stories about how Janis Joplin’s song Mercedes Benz was acapella because she died three days before it was to be produced, while poignant quotes permeated the room, such as Amy Winehouse’s: ‘Every bad situation is a blues song waiting to happen’ and Kurt Cobain’s: ‘People laugh at me because I’m different. I laugh at them because they’re all the same.’
As 27 Club’s Creative Producer Zac Tyler says: ‘27 Club is a heartfelt tribute to the icons who have left an indelible mark on music history. We’re not just putting on a gig, we're creating a full show experience that celebrates the raw power and timeless influence of these music legends"
Reliving these all time great anthems was nothing short of mesmerising.
Playing until September 29th
Tickets available at: www.sydneyfringe.com/events/27-club.
Venue: Sydney Spiegeltent, The Entertainment Quarter, 122 Lang Rd, Moore Park NSW