Fans were out in force for the first show in the Bang On Live national tour, queuing early in the hot sun outside the Spiegeltent and cheering loudly when hosts Zan Rowe and Myf Warhurst entered the stage to the familiar soundtrack from their Double J podcast.
Dressed in an elegant LBD (Warhurst) and colourful pantsuit with snazzy silver boots (Rowe), the pair clap back – with Myf, in particular, seeming overwhelmed by the love in the room. They take their places on a pair of Baroque-style chairs either side of a table dressed with flowers and a couple of glasses of pinot gris, seamlessly making the switch from the airwaves to the live format.
After a brief audience ice-breaker, they launch into a quiz aimed at finding the most dedicated member of the assembled “Bang Fam”. It reveals that, aside from a few bemused-looking plus-ones, the space is indeed full of avid listeners.
Rowe and Warhurst have been friends for almost 20 years after first meeting at a Radiohead gig, and one of the things that makes their podcast so appealing is their easy rapport. Another is the way in which the music presenters and journalists manage to balance the silly and serious in intelligent yet entertaining conversations about music, movies, art, fashion and books.
There’s plenty of frivolity in the stage show, which strikes the right note with the live audience as the pair bang on about topics ranging from Beyoncé’s country era to J-Lo’s self-funded $20 million doco The Greatest Love Story Never Told (which, by all accounts, should probably have stayed untold).
The chat gets harder when comedian Tom Gleeson pulls up a chair as special guest, generating laughs and fresh energy while also loving on Adelaide, his home for a month while he presents his own Fringe show, Gear.
Bang On Live also includes a brief segment of “hot takes” – discussion topics from audience members that range from the sublime (Twistees) to the ridiculous (lipstick colour and nipples) – and a “faarshun” parade in which volunteers model Warhurst’s hilarious crafty take on couture items such Luis Vuitton’s sandwich bag and American art collective MSCHF’s big red boots. On Saturday the show was almost stolen by a male model who had turned up wearing a shorts and shirt combo printed with photos of his own face and that of his pet bulldog – fortunately, an Ikea tote proved the perfect accessory.
Like all the podcast episodes, Bang On Live wraps up with Rowe and Warhurst’s recommendations for things to watch, read or listen to, in this case ensuring that the show runs the full gamut of life and death issues. If you want to know more about what they’re banging on about, check the show notes… if you can find them.
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Bang On Live’s two-show Adelaide season in the Garden of Unearthly Delights has now ended, but the tour continues nationally until the end of July (details here). If you’re not already a member of the Bang Fam, check out the podcast here.
Read more 2024 Adelaide Fringe coverage here on InReview.
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