Yanto Shortis

The evening got off to a great start when I entered the ‘rock’ carriage of the outbound Epping line train that was to take me to the Northcote Social Club. I say ‘rock’ carriage because one young lad had taken it upon himself to provide his own rock’n’roll DJ set using the speaker on his mobile phone. Out blasted Mudhoney, Tool, and Helmet. It was sensational stuff that sent me back to happy, flannel wearing times. Though I have to say it wasn’t appreciated by a lot of the Suits commuting back to their Ikea-castles in the ‘burbs. Unlucky for them.

I arrived at the gig and I was immediately presented with a scene that fills every self-respecting gig goer with dread. That is punters sitting on the carpet watching the support acts. This sort of behaviour is an outrage. For one, those who want to stand don’t know where to stand. The room at the back is always taken with people sitting with their backs against the wall, and same with the sidewall. You can’t make a stand, so to speak, by standing in the middle of the floor because then you look like a tool and invariably cop a seriously vitriolic spray from the bohemian onstage, whose strumming has provoked the sit-in in the first place. And once this occurs you become a pariah for the night and get dirty looks from all and sunder like a lumberjack at a Green’s rally. This only leaves the small area around the bar for standing, which is no place to be because you get in everyone’s way. Anyway, why would you want to sit on a carpet that has had a decade of crimes against cleanliness enacted upon it? There is a reason it sticks to your shoes.

So anyway… watched half of the support performance of Luke Watts in an uncomfortable perch near the bar. Not a bad acoustic set, which included a nice cover of Tom Waits’ Big in Japan. I have always wished that song was called Big Like Japan and was an ode to that classic 80s band. None the less, top cover. Fortunately for my sanity, everyone was forced to stand after Luke’s performance.

Cult favourite Yanto Shortis soon appeared on stage and played his renowned interpretation of laid back acoustic numbers. Nicely played and people absolutely love him but it does remind me too much of that inoffensive acoustic musician that ply their trade in the bars up at the ski fields each year. The most affecting performance was a track that I think was called ‘On top of Lantana Hill’. It was a beautiful blues number with a heart-felt vocal performance by Yanto, his brother on backing vocals and tambourine (doing a stunning impersonation of Linda McCartney including beating the tambourine effetely against his thigh), and his guitarist, who looked uncannily like the Edge, providing some outstanding slide guitar work. This along with an inspired cover of Paul Kelly’s obscure Melbourne Girls was the out and out highlight of the gig. If there were only a few more moments like this it would have lifted the gig to a whole new level. As it was, it was a fine way to enjoy a couple of beers on a Wednesday night, and a great excuse to rant about people who sit down at gigs.

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