Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle
Friday March 8, 2013 :
Melbourne soul-funk band The Bamboos joined forces with the legendary Tim Rogers to bring The Rock n Roll Medicine Show on the road to showcase their fifth album Medicine Man. Supported by five piece rock outfit Money For Rope, Friday night at the Cambridge was set to be a sweaty affair.
Catching the tail end of Money for Rope, the Melbourne boys already had the crowd stomping as they blasted out ‘Easy Way Out’ in their signature high energy style, that they left the stage in a state of chaos and the crowd enthused for the main act.
The Bamboos brought the grooving tunes straight, with vocalist Kylie Auldist soulful sound melting hearts with ‘What I Know’. The dapper looking band totalling ten members were joined almost immediately by Tim Rogers, in all of his rock and roll glory as he owned the stage and delighted us with ‘Cut Me Down’. Only two songs in, the crowd were putty in the hands of The Bamboos and Mr Rogers, leaving not one still body in the room, while we swayed, clapped and boogied along.
The infectious tunes continued, with each member of the band treating us to a showcase of their talents in the way of piano, saxophone, trumpet and drum solos that had us grooving along. Favorites included the Wilheim scream and title track ‘Medicine Man’.
Tim Rogers reminded us of his rock and roll status as he returned to the stage disheveled to belt out the body rocking ‘I Got Burned’ whipping the room into a funkadelic frenzy. Every body was dancing and each mouth singing along, or grinning from ear to ear to the soulful sounds. Thank you Tim Rogers and The Bamboos – your music is our medicine.
Reviewer and photographer: Stephanie de Vries
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