My husband and I discovered what piano bars could be when we were cruising with P&O several years ago. These weren’t the loungey piano bars you see in hotel lobbies; they were rowdy venues where the entertainers played party anthems that had crowds on their feet. Honestly, we’ve been chasing that high ever since. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve visited piano bars on cruise ships and on land and walked out disappointed. So our expectations were fairly low when we decided to catch the Duelling Pianos show at Drifter’s Wharf. The tickets were cheap, so we reasoned we could leave early if we wanted. However, this was the piano bar experience we’ve been looking for.
The Duelling Pianos concept originated in New Orleans. While it’s common in the US, it’s something we sadly don’t see enough of in Australia. As the doors opened, we were greeted by two pianos facing one another, each one set up with a request pad and pencils so we could start shaping the set. Mitchell Dormer, who you may remember from the most recent season of The Voice Australia, eased us into the night with Billy Joel’s “Vienna.” But after that it was banger after banger. With his buddy Bodhi Acton on the other piano, they raised the roof on this intimate venue. While usual piano bar suspects like “Sweet Caroline” and “Piano Man” got their time, they sat alongside pub classics like “Mr Brightside” and “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again.” And we all got in touch with our feminine side when they busted out “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” for the closer.
Longtime readers might notice that I am very reluctant to stand for a gig. I wouldn’t even do it for Rob Thomas a couple of weeks ago. I fully expected that even if the music was good, fatigue might set in and cause me to cut my night short. But honestly, I could have enjoyed a couple more hours of Duelling Pianos. Mitchell and Bodhi are insanely talented musicians with a seemingly encyclopaedic knowledge of music. While I didn’t get my Harvey Danger and Montell Jordan requests, I can’t think of a better way to spend my Saturday night.
Mitch and Bodhi regularly play at The Northern Hotel in Cavanbah/Byron Bay. You can also catch them at the Tivoli in Meeanjin/Brisbane on December 13.
Photo credit: Lauren Katulka