Review: Rob Snarski + Lindy Morrison & Friends at Lyric’s Underground

Rob Snarski + Lindy Morrison & Friends at Lyric’s Underground
Friday, February 23, 2024

It was a night for reminiscing, but Rob Snarski and Lindy Morrison, AKA the SnarskiCircusLindyBand, certainly aren’t stuck in the past or restricted by expectations governed by The Blackeyed Susans, The Go Betweens, or whomever.

Once again, Lyric’s Underground proved itself a perfect venue for an introspective show such as this (Rosie on sound was astute as ever), one where there’s as many friends gathered in the crowd as there are inhabiting the songs being performed.

Lindy Morrison took to the stage first, announcing how the evening would unfold: ‘two sets of 45 minutes with guests and a 15-minute break in between for merch buying!’ There were some rather fetching tea towels to be moved, after all.

Pretty soon, Rob Snarski entered the stage as Morrison took to her drumkit, and the pair almost silently slipped into Searching For The Heart Of It All. A track from Snarski’s 2020 Melbourne lockdown album, Song Gifts, it set the scene for an evening of intimate observations by a prolific songwriter who simply will not rest on his laurels.

Respected friends and musical guests were also a huge part of the evening and indeed make any Snarski/Morrison gig in any city of the country a unique experience. The humid warmth of All God’s Creatures was complemented by guitarist Andy Jarvis (Razor Jack on RTRFM’s Rock, Rattle & Roll and El Ritmo) and vocalist Coo Jarvis, both of whom play in Perth outfit Catzilla, with John Bannister aiding and abetting with trumpet (and later flugelhorn) flourish.

The country balladry of The Black Caress followed in a darker fashion before bassist Nigel Harford entered the scene, another Perth music mafia connection from The Stray Tapes, a band Snarski followed and loved in the early ‘80s. Snarski dedicated the next song to Alex and Elena, a couple who were separated for two years due to COVID-19. He wrote Elena for them and included it on his Song Gifts album; it’s a Latin-flavoured piece that entranced and moved the crowd, and certainly the couple themselves gave it a personal standing ovation.

Other songs also showcased Snarski’s talent with reportage, skimmed from chats he’s had with various characters over the years. Conversation With A Brisbane Cab Driver, featuring Greg Dear on guitar, told of a life left behind in another country for a much more modest one in Queensland. Chasing Van told the story of two girls in Belfast crossing the peace lines in search of Van Morrison. Sweet Edie, featuring Snarski on guitar, Coo on harmonies, and Dear on a heartfelt lead vocal, beautifully told the story of a young woman in wartime forced to conceal her growing pregnancy.

Fifteen minutes of hitherto unseen enthusiastic teal towel buying ensued before Set Two opened with Michelle Cannane, allowing a slight reflection on musical days of yore. ‘Did you see The Go Betweens? Did you see The Triffids? Lighthouse Keepers, The Cannanes, Pressed Meat & The Smallgoods…’ Snarski opined, listing a Sydways-like guide of suburbs and old venues. Mexico (I’ve Never Been There) saw the full ensemble take the stage, with Coo taking over the lead vocals of Dan Kelly, who sang the song on the recent Someone Said That Someone Said EP (she later did a beautiful job on Wait For Me, previously sung by The Clouds’ Jodi Phyllis, a last-slow-dance-of-the-night kinda song). Morrison’s drumming, as ever, was individual and rhythmically fascinating throughout.

The night continued with great stories within the songs and great stories around them. Shane O’Mara Wore Mascara saw Morrison in fine fettle, recalling the backstage of a Castlemaine theatre that stunk due to a nearby plum tree, which the locals referred to as… well, it rhymes, and you can figure it out.

Since I Slept With You Everybody Wants To Sleep With Me found her bemoaning the amount of recently divorced men getting back in the game, seemingly terrified at having sex. By this time, the estimable guitarist/producer Ricky Maymi (ex-Brian Jonestown Massacre) had taken to the stage, weaving both musically and figuratively. The wry humour was soon balanced by You’ll See The Moon, a ponderance on regrets and hope in spite of all.

The ensemble gathered for the night’s encore and most direct nod to Morrison's past with The Go Betweens’ song, Dive For Your Memory. This ‘showstopper’, as she joked, proved to be a melting moment, wistful yet real. “Thank you friends, goodnight," Snarski said by way of a simple, subtle, and friendly farewell, because it most certainly was all about friends.

We returned to our homes. There were dishes to be washed.

BOB GORDON

Photos by Linda Dunjey