As iconic Australian record label Mushroom celebrates their 50th anniversary, the stage show version of RocKwiz is touring the country celebrating the many great songs and different artists who have been part of the family.

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This review may contain spoilers, if you’re heading to the show in other city stop reading now, just know the show is lots of fun, buy a ticket and have a great time. 

On Wednesday night the party was in full swing at The Astor Theatre as Julia Zemiro, Brian Nankervis, the band, a roadie, some punters and bunch of surprise musical guests celebrated Australian music’s finest songs and artists.

RocKwiz came on to Australian television screens via SBS in 2005 and the team went on to produce over 180 episodes of the show that combines great live music with a pub quiz. Recently the show has been revived for a fresh series on Foxtel.

The concept is simple, four members of the pubic take their seats along two outstanding musicians and battle it out for bragging rights over who knows the most music trivia. Along the way the musicians also take to the stage performing their hits and often some interesting covers.

The show usually closes with a duet between the musicians from the rival teams, which over the years has brought together come memorable combinations. Where else can you see Courtney Barnett and Billy Bragg singing a Velvet underground song, or Deborah Conway, Rebecca Barnard and Ella Hooper performing a classic by The Gogos, and the unexpected beauty of Ben Lee and Meg Washington performing a laid-back version of Stars Are Blind. 

This live outing of the show was 100% focused on Australian music and talent, and through the questions and the performances a vast range of musical styles, moments and personalities was celebrated.

The show begins with the part that you don’t get to see on television, the pre-Kwiz. Twelve members the audience are brought up on stage and tested on their knowledge of the many bands, singers and hits that have come out of the Mushroom camp.

Professional sidekick and score keeper Brian Nankervis hosts this section of the show, quickly building a witty rapport with audience and building the excitement. Something went wrong though, and Brian found himself with thirteen potential players on the stage, a spanner thrown in the works. It made it all the more hilarious, as the seasoned comedian took it all in his stride.

Once the four contestants with the most freakish knowledge of Australian rock were discovered. the other eight – make that nine – were jettisoned and the real action got underway.

Julia Zemiro is a burst of energy and quickly launched into meeting the panelists and finding out what their first ever concert was, a signature opening question of the show. Zermiro quipped that the show was all about finding out who knew their Models from their Machinations, and who could pick their Painters from their Dockers.

The RocKwiz OrKestra took the stage and their line up included an impressive roll call. Drummer Peter Luscombe, formerly a member of The Black Sorrows and Rebecca’s Empire, is a long-standing member of the team. He was joined by Bill McDonald, formerly of Frente! and Rebecca’s Empire, keyboardist Clio Renner, guitarist Ashley Naylor from Even and singer and guitarist Olympia.

Roadie Dugald McAndrew, who holds up the scores at the end each round sadly was absent, but another roadie got to be “Dugald for the Day” which is possibly the greatest honour a roadie can be given.

Soon the contestants were identifying some songs that were clues to which musicians would be joining them on the stage.

First to be revealed was Hunters and Collectors’ frontman Mark Seymour who joined the band for a rendition of his song You Don’t Make Me Feel Like I’m a Woman Anymore. 

The answer to the next question was a song by the Sunnyboys, but the surprise guest was Adalita from 90’s rockers Magic Dirt. She took to the stage performing Alone With You later sharing that it was the first time she’d ever performed the song, but it has been on her wish list for years.

Soon there was a flurry of questions about Archie Roach, McKenzie Theory, Skyhooks, The Saints, Split Enz, Christy Allen, who was it remixed that Yothu Yindi tune? Did 70s band Ayres Rock reform and adopt the new name Uluru? What was the song by Mother Goose? Who originally recorded My Island Home?

The answers came thick and fast, these people had an unbelievable level of musical knowledge. Question after question the buzzers rand and the answers came. Until Julia asked who sang about how with love beside us, nothing could divide us?

Nobody on stage knew. Silence. Julia turned to the audience, more silence. Twelve rows back I quietly replied, “Jason Donovan”. My voice unexpectedly travelling fairly clearly across the theatre. For the record, this is my gayest moment ever.

Soon more questions prompted some more musical numbers, and a younger generation of artists.

Wilsn showed off her amazing vocals performing a song by the Tesky Brothers, while Shannen James took on One a Night Like This, a song made famous by Kylie Minogue, but originally recorded by Swedish artist Pandora.

I’d never come across Shannen James before, but throughout the show she delivered some engaging performances, and as soon as I got home, I was looking up her previous work.

After another round of questions and comedy another guest was revealed.

The arrival of Vikka and Linda Bull got one of the biggest audience responses of the night.

Another highlight was the arrival of Perth local Dom Mariani who delivered The Stems power-pop classic At First Sight.

Later in the show after sharing that his first concert was Status Quo at the Perth Entertainment Centre and answering some of the quiz, Mariani took to the stage for a second time to sing a song by another Western Australian.

He delivered a rousing rendition of Matt Taylor’s I Remember When I was Young with Howie Smallman joining in for some killer harmonica work.

The music was plentiful as we heard songs by Frente, The Saints, The Dingoes, The Ferrets and many others.  Shannen James and Mark Seymour were brilliant singing JoJo Zep and the Falcons’ Shape I’m In, Adalita and Wilsn rocked out to Models Out of Mind out of Sight. 

After a celebration of Australian talent, Mushroom Records, and its founder Michael Gudinski I headed off into the cold night bringing up all the Australian rock songs from my youth on my phone, adding Wilsn and Shannen James, and marveling at just how funky they’d just made Shape I’m In.      

Mountains of fun, a real celebration of Australian talent, lots of laughs and a great night out!

RocKwiz Salutes Mushroom 50 is heading to Brisbane on Friday 30 June, Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Friday 7th July, and the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on 2nd August.

Graeme Watson, images Duncan Barnes. 

Graeme Watson proudly owns Jason Donovan’s ‘Ten Good Reasons’ album, and it’s follow up ‘Between the Lines’.  

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