*** PREMIUM SEATING SOLD OUT ***
*** GENERAL ADMISSION (LIMITED SEATING) TICKETS AVAILABLE ***
Blue Valentines: The Tom Waits Songbook debuts at George Lane on Sunday 16 November with a matinee performance. This live project is devoted to the rich, strange and cinematic world of Tom Waits. Built around his haunting lyrics and genre-bending compositions, the show brings to life songs that play like faded postcards from forgotten cities - stories of lost souls, flickering neon and fleeting grace.
Tom Waits emerged in the early 1970s with a voice like gravel and a poet’s soul. His early work leaned into jazz, blues and lounge melancholy. Over time, it grew darker, more experimental and theatrical - blending found sounds, carnival bark, beat poetry and the dissonance of real life. The lyrics conjure alleyways, boxcars, dreamers and drunks. The music moves from tender ballads to percussive chaos.
This production does not attempt to mimic Waits’ unmistakable voice or stage persona. It offers a thoughtful interpretation of the songwriting itself - exploring the emotion, wit and craft behind the material. It is an homage to the songs and the stories they tell.
The repertoire spans his career - from the intimate debut Closing Time through to the raw spiritual terrain of Mule Variations - with arrangements shaped for a live room and a matinee audience.
The project began when Victor Stranges was auditioning musicians for his original band, Victor Stranges & The Methinks. A rehearsal with keyboardist Mike Dupp led to a shared conversation about Randy Newman and, inevitably, Tom Waits. A Waits-inspired show was planned for 2020, then postponed during the pandemic. Reassembled with a new lineup and the original vision intact, it now arrives onstage.
The Band
Victor Stranges - vocals and guitar
Mike Dupp - keyboards
Garry Allen - guitar
Annette Yates - double bass
Frank Scalzo - drums and percussion
Visit: bluevalentines.com.au
Doors open at 2:30 pm and tickets can be purchased below:
Multiple Ticket Prices + BF.
Blue Valentines -The Tom Waits Songbook Tickets, George Lane, St Kilda | TryBooking Australia
See you there :)