Mic Conway's National Junk Band loon onto the stage with their garbage bins, musical saws, sousaphone, ukulele, gum leaf, magic, juggling, fire, tap-dancing, jugs, hubcaps, washboards and, of course, the kitchen sink and make venues jump.
Known by many for "Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band" and "Circus Oz", Mic Conway has collected together some of Australia's finest oddball virtuosos, including Cazzbo Johns of "The Kransky Sisters" and "Australian Ballet and Opera Orchestra", (sousaphone, jug, swanee whistle and bass), Phil “Philthy Dunny Seat” Donnison (National guitars and ukuleles), Jeremy “Junkyard” Cook (garbage percussion) and Marcus Holden also of "Fiddlers Feast" (stroviol, mandolin, violin, tenor guitar). Witness fire, illusion, passion, irreverent satire, singing saws, flying chooks and musical mayhem.
Since 1997, the National Junk Band has had toes tapping and jaws dropping at festivals, pubs, radio and TV. They have four death-defying albums to their credit, the latest being “Corporate Chook” (2008) and their DVD of live concert footage and interviews: “Everything You Never Wanted to Know”.
Described as “Bing Crosby meets the Sex Pistols”, this neo-vaudeville band must be heard to be believed.
“This show is an hilarious revelation – you never know what you’re going to get from one song to the next.”
: Sarah Thomas, Adelaide Advertiser
“...highly infectious music, hilarious jokes, dazzling magic tricks, fire-eating and much clowning around.”
: Robert Dunstan, Rip It Up Magazine (Melbourne)
“Aural extravaganza... You enter into the spirit, which is pure fun. Everything is delivered with tongue lovingly pressed into cheek... in a lovingly self-deprecating style on the unlikeliest array of instruments.”
: Michael Smith, Drum Media
“The hit of the festival... their CD was so good someone stole it from the ABC library.”
: Robyn Johnson, The Planet, ABC Radio National
“Defies categorisation.”
: Sydney Morning Herald
“Mic Conway looks like he was born on a cabaret stage… his ease with a variety of cabaret styles from music hall and vaudeville to New Wave testifies to this involvement and his expertise is apparent.”
: The Age
“Fully rounded entertainment making people giggle, dance and go 'Wow!'... Surprises abound ... A bewdy!”
: John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
Read more...