The DIY Rock concert!

Some people build a deck, others brew their own beer, but very few would take on the monumental task of organising their own rock concert! Well, either no one told the courageous Yarra Valley residents who brought to life Rock Berry Jam – or they simply weren’t listening! But if you had a chance to select your own music festival line up, who would you choose? Surely you would include some young up and coming local acts, followed by a collection of much-loved bands from the last 4 decades of Australian music, and then finish off with an icon of rock and roll to really bring the house down!


Rock Berry Jam

Well, the hard-working and enterprising members of the Silvan Football Club and their many helpers did exactly that and despite blistering summer temperatures, Rock Berry Jam was a success first time out of the box. Held at Wandin East Reserve, the inaugural Rock Berry Jam has succeeded at a time when many huge festivals are failing. The beautiful Yarra Valley setting must have something to do with it!

The line up began with local boys Inside Reality followed by the cover-band favourites The Flaming Moes. Next to take to the stage was Melbourne band Skipping Girl Vinegar – who won a lot of new fans with their catchy songs and outstanding performance.

Unbelievably, it was 25 years ago that 1927 first released a series of hugely popular, beautifully crafted pop/rock songs and the crowd had not forgotten a word it seemed, as they played a memorable set including “If I Could” and “That’s When I think of You”.

If ever there was natural ‘frontman’ of a rock band – Mark Gable is certainly it and he lead one of Australia’s favourite ‘good time’ bands – Choirboys – through a high energy set that had the crowd up on their feet. Now that’s an achievement in 38° temperatures!

We were next reminded what an amazing catalogue of great music Dragon  has written and recorded over the years, headed now by the incredibly talented and enduring Mark Williams. By the time their set drew to close, the sun in Wandin had dipped below the trees, and a warm evening settled in – which seemed perfect for their perennial crowd favourite “April Sun in Cuba”.

Ian Moss Rock Berry JamAnd so the stage darkened and the crowd sensed the arrival of one of the most respected and talented musicians to ever grace an Australian stage.  Ian Moss is a performer that leaves a mark so indelible on his audience that even decades after you first heard the soul-wrenching power of his guitar and his rich vocals they remain etched into your memory – and life.  Needless to say, his performance was nothing short of monumental. From the Cold Chisel classics like “Saturday Night” and “Choir Girl” to some very special covers – like the “Arc Angels”, “Shape I’m In”, “Georgia” and of course his much-loved solo tracks, “Tuckers Daughter” and “Telephone Booth” with a thunderous encore of “Bow River” to end a great night of live music.

All we’ll say is: Get you tickets early for next year!

Stay tuned for news and updates.

[vc_button title=”FULL IAN MOSS INTERVIEW  >” target=”_self” color=”default” href=”https://dotheyarravalley.com.au/ian-moss/”]

[vc_button title=”FULL SKIPPING GIRL VINEGAR INTERVIEW  >” target=”_self” color=”default” href=”https://dotheyarravalley.com.au/skipping-girl-vinegar/”]

[vc_button title=”VISIT THE ROCK BERRY JAM WEBSITE  >” target=”_new” color=”default” href=”http://www.rockberryjam.com.au/”]

Article by staff writer – Ross Cureton