A SPOOKY NIGHT WAS LOVED BY ALL @ THE CAMELOT LOUNGE

The quirky Camelot Lounge, owned by Monsieur Camembert’s Yaron Hallas, was the venue for this ‘unknown’ group. Whenever I hear of Australia’s most forgotten impressionist I always know that it is John Russell because he is mentioned as such so I can’t forget it.

This wonderful group formed in 2001 has a cult like following. Despite playing for fifteen years and having won overseas singing competitions, this group is truly forgotten and unknown to the general public. In a men’s shed like fashion it brought together a bunch of guys from all walks of life who lived in the Blue Mountains area. As time evolved some of the group moved from the Blue Mountains to Canberra with its leader and chief composer Stephen Taberner moving to Melbourne.

The group has up to 30 members but usually when they get together for gigs about 14 to 15 perform, as was the case at Camelot.

They all have day jobs but the standard of their acapella harmonising is truly professional. We sat with some Spooky spouses who came from the Blue Mountains, Outer Western Sydney, and Canberra.

Taberner is brilliant at composing and arranging glorious harmonies for the Spookies to sing his bemusing and witty lyrics.

Song titles included Where Are You?…I Am Here, We are not a Men’s Group (because we are in touch with our inner feelings and have unresolved issues with our fathers), Do Not Get Between A Man and His Tool, and A Rhapsody To The Foot.  

Their vocal skill turns to tenderness when singing Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem To The Bar and then swings to hilarity as Taberner gets the whole audience humorously harmonising to a medley of David Bowie songs. Their moving rendition of Leonard Cohen’s  Dance Me To The End Of Time had many of the audience members up and dancing before uproariously laughing at a ‘sufi’ tribute to the Bee Gees. All this humorous harmonising is complemented by Taberner’s witty banter between songs.

The other marvellous thing about the Corale is that although they are all dressed in black no clothing ensemble is the same, facilitating the uniqueness of each individual

The audience left with a lighter heart and a smile on their face.

For more details about this group visit

http://www.spookymen.com.au/home.php

All images by Ben Apfelbaum (c).