Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks – The Fyrefly. St. Kilda July 13, 2018
Report and photos: Greg Phillips
On a cold Melbourne winter night, a near full house experienced the warm hospitality of St Kilda’s Fyrefly night club and a hot set from Australian music legend Ross Wilson and his crackin’ band The Peaceniks. Wilson is one of those unique performers who can draw material from various eras of a stellar career and tonight it was all on display, from The Pink Finks and Mighty Kong to Mondo Rock and Daddy Cool, as well as several tunes from an acclaimed solo catalogue.
For many in the audience it was a trip back in time to the soundtrack of their lives and it took no encouragement at all for the majority of the audience to break into dance. Classic hits songs such as Summer of 81 and Hi Honey Ho lifted the energy of the room immediately and a superb version of The Fugitive Kind sealed the deal, with Brett Kingman perfectly recreating the guitar parts by double tracking the solos, normally played by two guitarists. Wilson’s amiable stage patter connects so easily with an audience and everyone knows that there’s a 100% guarantee that the next song coming off the stage is either going to be a chart topper or a perfect example of quality songwriting.
With a barrage of musical gold, including Cool World, Come Said The Boy, and Daddy Cool finishing off the set, there were very few in the audience who weren’t spontaneously propelled onto the dancefloor, as the house management responded accordingly by switching on the disco balls. Unsurprisingly, the band and crowd rocked out the evening with our unofficial national anthem Eagle Rock. Ross Wilson is indeed a national treasure and as many discovered tonight, The Fyrefly is an ideal venue to wine, dine and experience such world class music in a comfortable, classy and welcoming atmosphere.
