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The Louisville Sluggers and The Straughan Fiasco

At The Wollongong Unibar
Thursday 31st May 2001

The Sluggers always draw a crowd on the rare occasion they visit Wollongong, and this time was no exception. Being well over six months since their last appearance down here (In support to the Royal Crown Revue at the old Wollongong Unibar), a large contingent of their supporters were in attendance. The atmosphere generated by the sizable crowd combined with the gangster dress code for the night had most talking in anticipated whispers (or expectant shouts - depending on your alcohol consumption).

A sea of Pinstripe suits, wingtips, braces and ties mingled amongst a splattering of flapper dresses and glitter as the Straughan Fiasco kicked into their first song. Predominantly a covers band, I'm led to believe these boys are local and rather new. Before this show I was unaware of them but I'm glad they have been brought to my attention. Only catching a few of their songs, I was very impressed by the way they tackled some classics. Tunes such as Zoot Suit Riot were played with panache. The horn section sounded a little muffled and suppressed but this was clearly a mixing problem (The Unibar's mixers are renowned amongst musicians for their incompetence). Friends who were able to watch the whole set informed me that the mixing did improve and a standout performer amongst the group was their tenor sax player who played "some pretty mean and very intricate riffs" if my sources are to be trusted. Keep an eye out for these guys, they are confident and energetic, definitely a band to track down and see.

The break between bands allowed time to enjoy a beer and a fine Dutch Cigar. The atmosphere continued to improve as more and more punters flowed into the venue. Conversations mainly focused on the new Unibar and opinions are mixed. One point of agreement however, is that the bar staff are terrible.
The Sluggers appeared on stage relatively quickly, catching many of us still outside on the stairs or in the beer garden mid-conversation. Rushing onto the already packed dance floor, I made my way to the crowd barrier, weaving through couples and individuals, skanking, swinging and moving to the flawless melody. The Sluggers seem to have improved since the last time I saw them six months ago (Even though Miss Velvet protests that they've been lazy and gotten fat!). Some studio work for their new E.P. and lots of gigs in Sydney have refined their sound considerably. Junior (Tenor Sax) put in an exceptional performance, as did the band's new Bass player who plays incredibly tight but also with immense enthusiasm on stage. I remember him at one point getting his Double-Bass on a forty-five degree angle, slapping away, his feet wide apart and his sun-glasses fogged with condensation and lined with beads of sweat, you can tell he loves his job.

The performance was littered with highlights but my personal favorite would have to be their version of "Fever" which was played with an upbeat rocksteady feel during their third and final encore. The show's impressive turnout may hopefully have persuaded Unibar management to hold more swing shows (or heaven-forbid, even a ska show!), we can only wait and see.

- The Peoples Poet -

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