Storyteller presents: The Hindley Street Country Club

Today we’re turning our attention once again to the topic of cover and tribute bands. We all know there are countless Rod Stewart tribute acts, some better than others. We’ve introduced you to one or two of these artists here in the past. Now we’ve received a message from our friend Allan Crouch in Australia. He recommended that we take a closer look at the Australian band The Hindley Street Country Club. And that’s exactly what we did. What we found was a band that has far more to offer than your average tribute act.

True to the motto: there are plenty of cover bands – but only one Hindley Street Country Club.

Anyone watching one of the videos by this Australian group from Adelaide for the first time might initially think they’re watching a particularly well-rehearsed studio band. But that’s precisely where the secret of HSCC lies: the group doesn’t see itself as an ordinary cover band, but as a musical collective that reworks great songs, thereby giving them its own unique flavour time and again.

The Hindley Street Country Club was founded in late 2017 by producer and arranger Constantine Delo. From the very beginning, HSCC has focused on well-known songs spanning several decades of pop, rock, soul and disco history. The musicians take the originals seriously, but do not copy them slavishly. It is precisely the combination of outstanding instrumentalists, harmonised vocals and elaborate arrangements that gives the band its special appeal.

And at some point, as a Rod Stewart fan, you inevitably find yourself asking an interesting question:

What does HSCC actually do with Rod Stewart?

One of the finest points of connection between HSCC and Rod Stewart is ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’.

For Rod Stewart fans, the song is, of course, inextricably linked to his 1970s version or the one recorded at the Royal Albert Hall (in a duet with Amy Belle). What’s interesting, however, is the backstory: the track was written by Danny Whitten, guitarist with Crazy Horse. Rod turned it into his own, world-famous version in 1977.

And at some point, as a Rod Stewart fan, you inevitably find yourself asking an interesting question:

What does HSCC actually have to do with Rod Stewart?

One of the finest points of connection between HSCC and Rod Stewart is ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’.

For Rod Stewart fans, the song is, of course, inextricably linked to his version from the 1970s or the one recorded at the Royal Albert Hall (in a duet with Amy Belle). What’s interesting, however, is the backstory: the song was written by Danny Whitten, guitarist with Crazy Horse. Rod created his own, world-famous version of it in 1977.

HSCC do not approach the song by simply trying to imitate Rod’s voice. Instead, they create a very warm, almost intimate interpretation. Kat Jade and Constantine Delo share the lead vocals, whilst the other musicians – on guitars, keyboards, saxophone, drums and backing vocals – provide a remarkably rich and layered sound. This, in particular, works brilliantly with this song.

For ‘I Don’t Want to Talk About It’ thrives less on spectacular musical effects than on atmosphere. Rod had imbued the track with that unmistakable blend of vulnerability and raw elegance. HSCC places greater emphasis on the harmonies and the interplay of the voices.

Constantine Delo described his interpretation, in essence, as a tribute to people who have experienced a broken heart at some point. In doing so, HSCC captures the very essence of this song.