After months upon months of Ding Dong Lounge sitting quietly on Market Lane awaiting her return to the Melbourne live scene, the time has come for her to throw open her doors and once again welcome punters into her radically renovated depths. Helmed by the legendary Billy Walsh, Ding Dong is back with a vengeance and the Mark Lanegan acoustic show may just be a throwing down of the gauntlet.

The mellow sounds of local troubadour Fraser A. Gorman and his band lured punters into the newly snug band room. Their instantly likeable country tinged tunes provided the perfect soundtrack for a room full of curious newcomers and those trying to reassimilate to the drastically different room.

While an impatient reveller yells “hurry up and get Mark on” to a few snide giggles, Gorman took it all in his good natured stride and got on with the somewhat difficult task of trying to entertain a roomful of hardcore Lanegan fans. Unsurprising the crowd was easily won over and by the time he leaves the stage the room is jam packed.

There never was an artist as fuss free as Mark Lanegan. The former Screaming Tree, sometime Queen Of The Stoneage and critically acclaimed solo artist seems a fitting numero uno act to relaunch Ding Dong. The red stage lights bathe Lanegan’s grizzled mug eerily and without so much as a peep he presses into a set that spans almost an hour and a half, accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, ably wielded by Jeff Fielder, and a scowl.

When a crowd member turns to talk to a friend during “One Way Street” from 2001’s Field Songs, several sharp ‘shhhhs’ snake their way in the offender’s direction and for the rest of the set the crowd stands as still and silent as stone. The only noise allowed by the Lanegan faithful is long and rousing applause which meets the end of each song. Lanegan’s haggard wolverine growl manages to make songs like “No Easy Action” and “Miracle” sound both miserable and inexplicably sexy at the same time.

Cracking a slight smile for the first time, he quietly drawls “thanks very much” before rasping his way through “Don’t Forget Me”, all the while grasping his microphone stand and staring at the ground. The band room is small and uncomfortably hot, but the Lanegan faithful are unmoved, listening so quietly and intently that the sound of the bar staff’s chatter and clanging of cash registers are clearly audible. As the opening strains of “The Gravedigger’s Song” from 2012’s Blues Funeral crawl through the room, the crowd whoop and nod enthusiastically. “In my blood flows sleep, and the dark heavy rain”; Lanegan sings misery like Leonard Cohen – with the scratchy grace of Johnny Cash.

“Please say hello to my good friend, Mr Jeff Fielder” says Lanegan, acknowledging the admirable work of his guitarist before ripping through “One Hundred Days”. Considering his lack of small talk, Lanegan has a presence that fills an entire room. He delivers each of his songs with a muted elegance that makes it clear that this is one of those gigs, one that you will forever bore friends and grandchildren with stories of.

Coming back for an encore Lanegan acknowledges the other man of the hour “We wanna thank Billy Walsh for asking us down here.” A stirring cover of O.V Wright’s “On Jesus’ Program” follows, while Screaming Trees track “Halo Of Ashes” brings a once-in-a-lifetime set to a close.  Lanegan disappears quickly, but Fielder sticks around long enough to gush “that was awesome dude, you guys are rad. This is Billy’s new joint and Melbourne is officially our favourite city.”

Maybe they say that to all the cities, but Mark Lanegan will always have a stage to call his own in Melbourne.

– Madison Thomas

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