You don't know what you've got until you lose it. I've only been in Melbourne
a year but as the news of Conti closing broke, I began to realise just how
much I was going to miss it. I can only imagine the sense of loss felt by those who worked or played there, and if you wanted proof of just how much they
loved the Conti, the final show provided bucketloads of it. Consider the
huge lineup for the evening: 30 acts consisting of 80 performers, including
Blackeyed Susans, Matt Walker, Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Stephen Cummings,
Tiddas, Even, Vika & Linda, Rebeccas Empire, Mick Thomas, Deborah Conway,
Jeff Lang, David Bridie and Mark Seymour. Consider the huge crowd that
remained after five hours of single song sets. Consider the applause that
greeted Mario's vicious condemnation of the landlord's behaviour. Or consider
my final memory of the night, when the stagehand signalled for the final
closure of the purple curtain by cutting his hand across his neck. As it
slowly slid across,
the Conti staff who had gathered near the stage quietly turned to each
other, embraced and quietly began sobbing.
Links: The Age
- Addicted To Noise
- WMinc
Deborah Conway sings "Goldfinger" (dedicated to the Conti
landlord) with Gerry Hale & Willy Zygier
532 x 700 (32kb)
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Deborah & Gerry
461 x 700 (47kb)
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Mick Thomas
480 x 700 (26kb)
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Jodie Meehan & Julian Wu (Conti sound recordist)
481 x 701 (27kb)
|
Ross McLennan (Snout) & Shane O'Mara
595 x 700 (51kb)
|
Steve Miller holds aloft Bernard's act booking pencil
401 x 699 (41kb)
|
some of the assembled crowd
600 x 413 (44kb)
|
Shane O'Mara & Rebecca Barnard
600 x 552 (38kb)
|
Graham Barker sings the specially written "What's Left That's
Right" a capella
420 x 700 (23kb)
|
Siobhan Ormandy, Bruce Haymes (keyboards) & Paul Williamson (sax)
700 x 616 (41kb)
|
Andrew Pendlebury
457 x 700 (36kb)
|
Geoff Achison
476 x 700 (26kb)
|
???? & Jeff Lang
403 x 600 (22kb)
|
David Bridie & ????, performing Spinal Tap's "Gimme Some Money"
600 x 570 (26kb)
|
Spencer P. Jones and band
700 x 571 (45kb)
|
Matt Walker & Ashley Davies
700 x 445 (53kb)
|
Matt Walker
535 x 700 (31kb)
|
Mark C. Halstead & Jodie Meehan
700 x 498 (35kb)
|
Blackeyed Susans
700 x 570 (35kb)
|
Mario DePasquale
508 x 600 (36kb)
|
Bernard Galbally, Conti act booker
600 x 451 (50kb)
|
Bruce Haymes & Ashley Naylor (Even)
574 x 700 (29kb)
|
Even
700 x 537 (49kb)
|
Tiddas, reunited for one more song
700 x 605 (45kb)
|
Mark Seymour sings "Throw Your Arms Around Me"
516 x 700 (33kb)
|
Stephen Cummings & Shane O'Mara
600 x 585 (31kb)
|
Stephen, Shane & the two Peters: Luscombe & Jones
perform "The Big Room"
700 x 550 (44kb)
|
Rebecca Barnard performs "Empty"
560 x 600 (32kb)
|
Renee Geyer & James Sandon performing "Love Don't Live
Here Anymore"
650 x 607 (45kb)
|
Linda, Vika, Jeff Burstin, Bill McDonald & Michael Barker
650 x 425 (53kb)
|
Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer and Linda Bull
472 x 600 (33kb)
|
Mark Seymour & Paul Kelly's sister, performing the Irish
tune "The Farewell Drop" a capella
471 x 650 (34kb)
|
Renee Geyer, Rebecca Barnard and Linda Bull
541 x 600 (31kb)
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