I regularly watch an excellent show called RocKwiz that’s on SBS on Saturday nights. If I’m out I try to remember to tape it but sometimes forget. I love it for a variety of reasons.
It’s filmed at the iconic Esplanade Hotel or the Espy in Melbourne. I’ve been there a few times myself to see bands on the occasions I’ve been in Melbourne and it is an institution not just for Melbournites. So I think because it’s filmed there it’s instantly a lot more informal than if it were filmed at a television studio. Plus I guess the audience can drink there so it’s instantly more like a quiz night than a light music entertainment show.
The host, Julia Zemiro is just fantastic. She’s funny, quick off the mark, intelligent and if I met her in person I’d probably just dribble and stutter instead of saying anything meaningful.
The Kwiz master Brian Nankervis I reckon has very similar taste in music to me as much of the music the questions are about music I really like – more alternative than mainstream that is.
The band are excellent. For a 45 minute show they have to know three songs and a wealth of bits and pieces throughout for the Million Dollar Riff segment etc.
And the Kwiz contestants are great – see I just can’t fault anything. Four of the contestants come from the audience and have to go through a minor audition type process. Some of them work really well and know some really obscure stuff, and Julia works with them really well too. The other two contestants are musicians who come out by themself after a Kwiz Who Am I question, sing a song, then play the Kwiz and at the end join up with the other musician for a duet. I cried recently when Archie Roach and Sara Storer sang Paul Kelly’s song ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ as they did it so beautifully.
If I lived in Melbourne I’d go along for sure. But that’s not what this is about. The credits are rolled during the duet at the end and as I’ll read absolutely anything I read the credits. Part of the credits thank the babysitters for looking after the offspring and they name the babysitters.
It got me to thinking that babysitters just aren’t usually recognised for the fantastic job they do. Most parents rely on someone or a group of someones to look after their offspring so they can go out and work or play. If these babysitters do it out of love then they should get even more kudos and they’re the ones I especially want to thank.
As a sole parent with no other adult in the house to mind JJ for me while I go out I have to rely on paid and unpaid babysitting help. I’m quite fortunate in having a wide group of friends, most of them with offspring of their own who will take mine for a little while, or for the night so I can go out and have adult time. I do return babysitting favours so it does work out two ways and with a couple of people it’s very one way, that is they’ve had JJ more than I’ve had theirs but I guess I’m on standby both to offer and to be asked.
So, to RocKwiz for a great show and for the fact they thank the babysitters of their crew, and to my babysitters, a big thank you.