Dave Wright & the Midnight Electric @ Whole Lotta Love, 8 Aug 2015

Playing in what felt like a young man's apparel section of a carefully focus-grouped department store, Dave Wright and the Midnight Electric nonetheless rocked the pretentiousness out of the rattled the plate glass windows facing Albion Street in Brunswick East this past Saturday night.

The place is called Whole Lotta Love. Maybe I missed it but I don't remember Led Zeppelin's crossing a horrific rubicon into kitsch. How else to explain adorning two walls of a small bar with colour shots of Jimmy Plant and Robert Plant in concert and the cover to their first album, respectively. Is the place meant to be a Temple of Zep? If so, why are 8x10s of kiddie metal bands like Kiss and Motley Crue stuck to the wall opposite the album cover? Whole Lotta Love opened in November of last year and with every fucking new place in Melbourne requiring a hook perhaps one of its investors heard Zep's 'Whole Lotta Love' on the radio and thought, "That's it! That's our angle!"

No. Not possible, 'cause you'll never hear 'Whole Lotta Love' on the radio in Melbourne.

Decor and authenticity aside, this cold winter's night in Melbourne belonged to one Robert Barber (right). Whether with a Fender or mandolin or Gibson or banjo, the band's red bandana'd lead guitarist was a force. Dave Wright loaded up the set list with rockers and crowd favourites but in the middle dropped 'Into the Big Blue', the final song on last year's The Lucky Country and a song only played live once before. It's a demanding song: The audience's patience gets tested as the slow boiler starts to bubble. Drummer Neil Salmon must lock into a slow, solid beat. Dave's vocals are stretched like taffy. Finally, Rob's got to blast a Gilmore-esque guitar solo for maximum emotional impact.

As Aussies say, it went down a motherfucking treat. (Actually, Aussies don't say 'it went down a motherfucking treat'. Aussies say 'it went down a treat'. People from NJ who live in Australia say 'it went down a motherfucking treat'.)

Other highlights included a count-in to 'Blacktown' that had first Dave then the band then the crowd stomping their feet like hydraulic presses; a blistering 'Sweet Caroline' that was captured by Michael Egan and may be viewed here; a loose and loud 'Happiness' that was also captured by Michael and may be viewed here; and a lovely 'Classic Cars' dedicated to classic DWME fans Thelma & Louise, aka Mary and Piera.

It all came together with Zeppelin-like majesty Saturday night. Hey, anyone want to open a bar in Melbourne? We'll call it 'Into the Big Blue' and slap DWME murals on the walls .....

Dave and Big Tim play to Rob, who's mysteriously moved to the front row.

Dave and Tim.

Shaun, Lovely Rita, Louise and Thelma.

Even trombonist John Bryant of the Electric Horns couldn't resist smiling at Rob's guitar slinging.