Between 2005 and 2016, SBS aired more than 180 episodes of RocKwiz, the game show that famously begins by asking its contestants what their first concert was. Midway through the run, the show went live, travelling across Australia and donning theatres, wineries and festivals with the red-velvet curtains. And it’s still touring today.
After more than 200 live shows, the RocKwiz gang packed the Festival Theatre on Saturday night in a one-off Cabaret Festival show called RocKwiz Salutes Adelaide, and though there are no right or wrong answers to that opening question, Anne “Willsy” Wills immediately received bonus points for naming The Beatles.
Host Julia Zemiro – who is also one of this year’s Cabaret Festival’s co-artistic directors – is quick, yet she acts like she has all the time in the world, extending the game-show questions to include personal responses from her guests. “Do you find it hard that you can’t remember things?” she asked John Schumann, of Redgum fame, when he joked that he couldn’t recall his first concert. And this is one of her skills: eking out the anecdotes to celebrate the musicians.
RocKwiz co-creator Brian Nankervis (also a guest performer in the festival show Underscore, with Sally Ford & The Idiomatics) acts as scorekeeper, and in the live show he hilariously dwindles down six possible contestants, chosen from the pre-show audience, to three. During the performance, he prompts Zemiro, dances across the stage, and generally provides one of the best feel-good vibes of any co-host around.
The rock-star guests are introduced as answers to the first-round questions, “Who Can It Be Now?”, the title taken from the Men at Work song. The entirely fired-up audience thrilled at Melbourne-based Indigenous singer Jess Hitchcock, who came out swinging with Adelaide wunder-artist Sia’s “Chandelier”. Likewise, musical theatre performer David Campbell (another of this year’s co-artistic directors) smashed it with Paul Kelly’s “Adelaide”.
Jess Hitchcock performs Sia’s “Chandelier”. Photo: Claudio Raschella
Playing musical guest-chairs, Schumann also joined the game after singing a tongue-in-cheek song about our city that lamented the Lion and the Arkaba hotels for not being quite the live music venues they used to be, and asked the question: “Where exactly did you go to school?” It was pretty special when Schumann later sang “I was only 19”, backed by the RocKwiz OrKestra (Peter “Lucky” Luscombe on drums, Clio Renner on keyboard, Bill McDonald on bass guitar and Olympia on lead guitar).
The teams showcased their musical knowledge during fast-paced rounds that meandered off-script, until the one with the most points was crowned winner, scoring the coveted prize of, according to Nankervis, a two-week camping trip to Noarlunga. Culminating in an all-in musical performance of Cold Chisel’s “Saturday Night”, it was entertainment at its best.
John Schumann’s performance was a highlight. Photo: Claudio Raschella
Dedicated to Adelaide music photographer and record store owner Ian Bell, who died en route to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, RocKwiz Salutes Adelaide didn’t fall back on over-done, east coast jokes about our city’s un-coolness. Rather, it celebrated us for growing and inspiring the likes of Jimmy Barnes, The Angels, The Masters Apprentices, Paul Kelly, Sia, No Fixed Address and the Hilltop Hoods.
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Let’s hope they come back in a few years with another live show, celebrating the new generation: Bearclaw Camp, Tilly Tjala Thomas, Old Mate, The Brokers, Geordie Little. But for now, the beat goes on, and if you want to catch another live show, RocKwiz will salute independent music company Mushroom Records at the Thebarton Theatre on August 5.
RocKwiz Salutes Adelaide was presented at the Festival Theatre on June 17 as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, which continues until June 24. See more stories and reviews on InReview’s Cabaret Festival page.
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