6 January, 2017. 15:34
ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Listen out to the wind, babe. Listen out for the rain.
Audiences in Brisbane were treated to a face-melting performance of Cold Chisel’s classic feel-good hit ‘Bow River‘ by Mike Whitney’s band overnight.
The extended jam continued on for some 45-minutes before Whitney swan-dived off the stage in a great crescendo that was heard as far away as Annerly, in the city’s south.
Playing musical tag, the former quick bowler lead is group through a smorgasbord of guitar, drum and keyboard solos – with Whitney himself enjoying a 7-minute long tambourine solo for good measure.
“It was just incredible,” said one patron. “Mike started speaking in tongues at one point. He put the whole microphone in his mouth and let the music take him to some special places.”
“He collapsed onto the stage bashing his tambourine all the way down. His eyes rolled back into his head and you could only see the whites of his eyes as he writhed around on the ground in ecstasy.
“Move over Kevin Parker, there’s a new musical genius in town!” he said.
It was the first time Whitney had played at The Colmslie Hotel, a Brisbane live music mecca that birthed the careers of many of the River City’s musical acts.
Other patrons at the Wynnum Road establishment who witness the performance also commented on the energy emanating from the function room, with some taking the time to describe to The Advocate that the sheer power of the show caused pandemonium amongst the crowd.
“These grots were rooting in the pokie room,” said one patron. “Now that’s a rock’n’roll show if I’ve ever seen one. Then a mob of hi-vis blokes turned up and keybanged their utes until the cops showed up. Fucking Mike Whitney, aye. The bloke knows how to entertain.”
