Spooky Men’s Chorale At The Independent
The Spooky Men’s Chorale is a vast, rumbling, steam-powered and black clad behemoth, based on the twin pillars of grand foolishness and the quest for the perfect subwoofer-rattling boofchord.
They return to the scene of their previous comic crimes with a program featuring works from their newest album Welcome to the Second Half – as well as some favourites from their 20-year history of musical mayhem. It is also the first in a new variation on the popular Prelude in Tea series at the Independent Theatre: “Sundays, Supper & Song” – concerts followed by a wine and cheese supper and a chat with the artists.
The Spooky Men comment on the absurdity and grandeur of the modern male armed only with their voices, a sly collection of hats and facial hair and a twinkle in the eye. The audience is invited to joyously experience a wall of mansound, to laugh and venture into great tenderness. Not so much comedic as hilarious, not so much shimmeringly perfect as pleasingly and deeply human, the Spooky Men were formed in the Blue Mountains in 2001 by Christchurch-born ‘spookmeister’ Stephen Taberner. They rose to prominence at the 2004 National Folk Festival in Canberra with a judicious combination of Georgian table songs, ballads, highly inappropriate covers and immaculate original man-anthems like ‘Don’t stand between a man and his tool.’
Their 750+ gigs since have included WOMAD, The Great Escape Festival, the Woodford, Cobargo, Port Fairy, Blue Mountains and Bellingen festivals. They’ve appeared on Spicks and Specks, The Mix and The New Inventors, performed live on ABC radio many times and have earned great international acclaim on six UK tours and at major festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Cambridge and Tonder (Denmark) and WOMAD New Zealand.
Adult $49, Concession $32, Student $22, Child $17
Bookings or call (02) 9955 3000