Review: The Garage Band

**Picture**: The Garage Band (*image credit: Creative Futures Photography*)

The promotional material for The Garage Band gives a great overview of the premise of the show: ‘Somewhere in the multiverse, a band called The Beatles are still rehearsing every weekend in John’s garage. Will they ever hit the big time? Or will they forever be a garage band?’ There will be many of us who will identify with this one, having only ever ‘rehearsed’ in the garage and never made it to the stadium stages. That ‘if only’ moment… where ‘if only’ we had turned left then we would have made it to the big time…

The Garage Band is presented by Munslow/Hossack Productions, and stars Andrew Munslow and Deb Hossack, alongside Tom Burrell, Douglas Buchanan, David Washbourne, and Mark Whitmore. Munslow and Hossack not only perform in the show, but The Garage Band is also written by Munslow and directed by Hossack.

Conjuring John Lennon, Munslow’s experience with Act1 Theatre and playing guitar with The Actones shines through. Munslow gives a compelling and entertaining performance, with some great vocals. Hossack plays the role of a Whovian-styled narrator, reading the Dr Seuss-style poetic lines from the ‘Tales of the Multiverse’ to keep the tale running along, and provide the band the opportunity to take quick breaks and enjoy several t-shirt changes.

Each of the members of the band play with enthusiasm in this Beatles tribute, but some of the songs were stronger than others. For me, the better numbers of the evening were Back in the USSR and Eight Days a Week. And I enjoyed the occasional comic moments that included the final return of ‘Stuart’ to the stage in a Moreton Bay City Rollers’ t-shirt, and also the alternate universe possibility that Yesterday might have become an ode to scrambled eggs.

One of the many great things about Anywhere Festivals is that artists are encouraged to seek out nooks and crannies to bring their work to new audiences in as cost-effective a manner as possible. The team at Scarborough Harbour Brewing has generously provided their venue without charge to the artists. But, if there are to be any future iterations of this show, I suggest the producers seek out a garage space for a more intimate performance, and make sure that they have appropriate lighting for the show.

There are some improvements that might be made to this show, including having a clearer signal to the audience of the end of the tale. It would also be good to have a better sense of the garage as a separate space for the band rehearsals. Aside from the opening scene, where John is occupying the bathroom, The Garage Band is set in the garage of the family home. Placing the toilet in a different area of the space, and even having some other scenes outside the garage, might be an interesting way to develop this show. There were also some technical issues on the first night. Great work on the pre-recorded sound, but there were moments where instruments weren’t switched on for some songs. But I am guessing that these opening night issues will be addressed in the remaining two shows.

Congratulations to the cast and creatives involved with The Garage Band. It’s good to see some ‘late bloomers’ (that’s a direct quote from the show) are living out their dream, and enjoying playing and performing.

Catherine Lawrence

Audience information: The Garage Band, Scarborough Harbour Brewing Co, 21 Bird O Passage Parade, Scarborough, QLD 4020 (8, 15 & 23 May 2025, 7:30pm). PG, but no warnings. Access to this venue requires the use of stairs, and there is no lift available. 60 minutes, no interval. Tickets $25, plus $4.40 booking fee.

The reviewer attended the 8 May 2025 7:30pm show.

Geoff Lawrence