★★★★1/2 - InReview
The words of Neil Young, “It’s better to burn out than fade away”, are worth keeping in mind at this time of year in Adelaide, when there is so much to see and do, yet so little time.
Famously – and sadly – referenced by the late Kurt Cobain in his suicide note, the words are projected to the rear of stage during 27 Club’s Adelaide Fringe performance, which is back in 2023 as one of the festival’s headline acts. And if there’s one show you should make time for, it’s this one.
For the uninitiated, 27 Club stars an eight-piece “supergroup” comprising Kevin Mitchell (Jebediah), Sarah McLeod (The Superjesus), and Adelaide’s own cabaret powerhouse Carla Lippis, alongside members of The Wanderers. It’s performed in Gluttony’s open-air amphitheatre The Fantail, with the only drawback being the 6.30pm timeslot (make sure you grab a seat in the shade).
The set is jam-packed with an exciting selection of numbers by Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Rolling Stones, all lf which had members who, spookily, died at the age of 27. Rounding out the club is Amy Winehouse, Robert Johnson and Janis Joplin.
“These guys wrote a lot of songs, and we’ve only got 60 minutes,” says Mitchell after he makes his entrance on stage for an excellent cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.
Even a broken leg in a moon boot doesn’t stop dynamo McLeod from dancing her way around the stage, getting the boot up on a foldback while singing her lungs out to Joplin’s “Cry Baby”. How her vocal folds survive night after night is miraculous.
Mesmerising Lippis wields her world-class cabaret chops as she goes into another zone for a very sassy “Foxy Lady”, during which guitarist Dusty Lee Stephensen wields his Fender Stratocaster behind his head in full-blown Hendrix style.
With couches and a coffee table on stage, the show is like being in the lounge room of eight epic musicians as each take their turn at leading. There are some clever re-imaginings of classics, while other numbers are performed true to the originals, and some are presented as medleys.
This show really is a masterclass in rock ’n’ roll by some of the best in the business who get the audience toe-tapping and head-nodding along, finishing with a standing ovation.
To enjoy songs such as “Lithium” performed on the big stage is a real treat and, as a bonus tip, it seems you won’t get told off if you do decide to dance in the aisle.
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