Shaolin Punk

Well, tomorrow is the first performance for the full premiere season of Set List! Now, we know that a certain semi-popular sporting event may also be occurring at the same time as Set List: Folk; so if you’re not keen on the “Grand” Final, grab your best cardigan and flat cap, warm up your pan pipes, and head on down to Trades Hall for a good ol’ dose of storytellin’ music written on the spot by the Set List band!

Remember, the show starts at 4:30 PM and tickets are available online from melbournefringe.com.au or at the door from the Trades box office in the Bella Union bar. Note that we have moved from performing in the bar itself to the much more intimate surroundings of the Old Council Chambers - and also note that, though it’s listed in the printed programme guide, there is no performance on Sunday September 28!

But should the lure of the ball game prevent you from attending, have no fear: Set List caters for you too! All three principle Set List performers - Karin Muiznieks, Dan Walmsley and Ben McKenzie - will be performing at the (unofficial) 2008 AFL Season Review at Trades Hall on Tuesday night! And yes, there will be a special Set List surprise…

See you over the weekend!

Last night was the first preview season performance of Set List, and taking the stage were Emma Muiznieks, Karin Muiznieks, Dan Walmsley and Ben McKenzie. They formed urban whimsical folk quartet “Absynth”, and the set list for their one and only Melbourne performance included:

• “Clinton”, an ode to the sleepy little New Zealand town whose chief attraction was being the only part of the country not featured in Lord of the Rings.
• “The Brush Went South”, a tragic tale of two lovers forever separated by the misuse of a toothbrush.
• “Reasons to Leave Your Phone On in a Show”, a list of…well, you get the idea.
• “Snow Dome” - a terrifying glimpse of the hidden dangers within seemingly innocuous ornaments.
• “The Best Nose in the World”, a love song for a man with beautiful nose hair.
• “Fight the Faint Smell”, a rousing political anthem espousing the olfactory superiority of communism over capitalism.
• “City of Evil”, a chilling expose of the supernatural horrors which lurk in the seemingly cheery home of beer, Prague.
• “Life is Like a Rolling Pin”, an allegory for all those times when you’re feeling flat.
• “The Band Whose Name Has Been Forgotten”, a spooky story of what happens if you allow creative tension to boil over on stage.
• “Cheri”, a love song for a New Zealand roustabout who once dreamed of being a model
• “Vodka, Absinthe and Pineapple Juice”, a rousing final chorus to get everyone in the mood for visiting the bar at the Butterfly Club!

Remember the preview season continues tonight, with Dan, Emma and Karin returning, this time joined by Andy McClelland as they form an entirely new jazz band. There are also performances on Saturday and Sunday.