What’s happening?
The Spooky Men’s Chorale will perform at Macleay Island Community Hall on Thursday, 28 May at 6.30 pm.
The show is part of their Very Spooky National Tour, marking 25 years of Pointless Grandeur.
The national tour begins at Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday, 3 May at 7 pm.
The group will also perform in Brisbane, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Maleny and Noosa.
The tour then heads to Enmore Theatre in Sydney on Thursday 11 June, before a 28-gig UK tour.
Bookings are available at www.spookymen.com.
Why it matters?
The Macleay Island show gives Redlands audiences a rare local stop on a major national tour.
The Spooky Men’s Chorale has built a loyal following through music, comedy, storytelling and close harmony.
The Sydney Morning Herald described their sound as, “Sheer musical excellence – like the ghosts of choristers long gone.”
The Guardian said, “It takes a rare skill to be very silly, thoughtful, and sing in perfect harmony, but the Spooky Men’s Chorale manage to achieve just that.”
Local Impact
The Macleay Island date brings a national touring act directly to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.
It gives locals a chance to see the group without travelling to Brisbane or the Gold Coast.
The performance also adds to Macleay Island’s live arts calendar, with the Community Hall hosting the 6.30 pm show.
Other nearby Queensland dates include the QLD Conservatorium Theatre on Wednesday, 27 May at 7.30 pm.
The Gold Coast show follows at HOTA on Thursday, 4 June at 7.30 pm.
By the numbers
- The group first performed on 4 August 2001 at Eastside Paddington Church.
- The Spooky Men’s Chorale are marking 25 years since their first stage appearance.
- The group has performed nearly 1000 gigs across its long-running career.
- They have released 8 albums and completed 14 tours of the UK and Europe.
- The national tour will be followed by a 28-gig UK tour.
Zoom In
The Spooky Men’s Chorale was founded by Stephen Taberner.
The group was inspired by the great Georgian choirs of the Caucasian mountains.
Its style blends rich vocal harmony, humour, theatre and storytelling.
The chorale is known for celebrating and mocking masculinity through what organisers call “mighty boofiness, charming stupidity, and exquisite tenderness.”
Their anniversary show will include songs from the past and selections from their current work.
Taberner said the show will also bring the audience into the performance.
“This show will also offer the chance to join a massed audience choir, The Axis of Spook, for a ridiculous musical sensurround experience. There will be special spooky guests, a musical favourites lottery and a massed spooky man finale!” he said.
He added, “Gird your loins: this is the one spooky show in the history of spooky shows that you should not miss….”
Zoom Out
The anniversary tour reflects the unusual place the chorale has built in Australian music.
The group has been described as iconic, eccentric, lyrical and larrikin.
It is also known for performances that move between silliness, warmth and careful musicianship.
From its first show in Paddington in 2001, the group has grown into an act with national and overseas reach.
The Macleay Island stop sits within a wider Queensland run before Sydney and the UK.
What To Look For Next?
After Macleay Island, the Queensland tour continues at Ipswich Civic Centre on Saturday, 30 May at 7.30 pm.
The group then performs at Toowoomba Empire Theatre on Sunday, 31 May at 2 pm.
Further Queensland dates follow at HOTA Gold Coast, Maleny Community Centre and The J in Noosa.
The Sydney show at Enmore Theatre on Thursday, 11 June, will mark a major anniversary moment.
The group will then take the tour overseas for its 28-gig UK run.
