By NOEL MURPHY
TOM SPALDING’S alter-ego is a grinning comic-book figure tearing his shirt off to reveal a red and blue superhero’s outfit beneath.
It’s apt given Spalding’s on-stage liking for costume changes as a long-time impersonator of Elvis, Tom Jones and ZZ Top – remembering the words for around 200 songs as a human jukebox.
He’s been the frontman for evergreen outfit Captain Spalding since the 1970s when he started out as a rock singer in Melbourne, generally working with a drummer and little else, belting out covers in boozy, smoky, crowded pubs.
The band’s covers run the gamut of rock music, everything from Black Betty, Walk Like an Egyptian and Mack the Knife to My Sharona, Sex Bomb and Whip It. Likewise with the coverage of bands and solo artists such as Violent Femmes, Robert Palmer, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gerry Rafferty, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Eagles and Elton John.
Spalding’s been about performance as much as playing, though. His hallmark at South Melbourne’s Star Hotel was a costume change routine, for instance.
Old drummer mate Roger Deidman, of Leapy Lee and Little Arrows renown, was a crowd-pleaser, too, paradiddling his way through throbbing audiences on tables, bars and chairs.
Down the years Captain Spalding has become one of Australia’s most enduring and respected cover bands.
It’s proudly played more than 6000-plus gigs, from residencies at places like Geebung Polo Club, Manhattan, Edwards Tavern and the Elephant and Wheelbarrow to international shows across South-East Asia, backyard birthday parties and lavish corporate jobs.
Spalding’ said he was now semi-retired, performing just two or three times a week.
“I’m well-versed to hard work, though,” he said.
“I’ve been doing music since I was 25. First in Spain full-time where I’d do seven nights a week plus afternoons, then I worked cruise ships where you’d play seven afternoons and seven nights a week.
“When I formed Captain Spalding it went gang-busters.”
Captain Spalding plays Corio’s Shell Club on 2 August.
