Kogarah’s Twilight Concert series to continue

For more than six years, the former Kogarah Council has been running the event, and the next one is scheduled for Wednesday, June 1.

“This is just one of the many events organised under the former Kogarah Council that will continue under the new Georges River Council,” Georges River Council administrator John Rayner said.

“First launched in April 2010, each concert showcases a different genre and musical talent.

“In the past, the concerts have been very well received by music-loving residents and visitors to the Georges River region.

“These concerts are strongly patronised and have a very loyal following, with some having attended every concert,” he said.

This concert will feature instrumental talents of swing era Ragtime, with Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters.

Poppleton was considered a little eccentric growing up in Five Dock in the mid-'70s. As his mates bought the Sex Pistols' album or sang along to Queen on the radio, he was rifling through the back shelves of music stores looking for recordings from the 1930s swing era. 

Swing has remained a passion for Poppleton since then. He walked away from a secure job as a chemical engineer in 1989 for the more precarious life of a musician and actor. 

He describes himself as Australia's only exclusively 1920s and '30s-style singer, performing with his swing band the Bakelite Boys. 

He has appeared in a several TV ads and what he calls "blink and miss" roles in films such as Moulin Rouge, Dirty Deeds and Footy Legends.

"People are much more open to different styles of music these days," Poppleton says. "Swing might not be their first choice but they appreciate the skill and sophistication that has gone into the music and lyrics."

The 2016 concert series is sponsored by St Patrick’s Green Retirement Village.

Greg Poppleton and the Bakelite Broadcasters will perform at the St George Bank Auditorium, Montgomery Street, Kogarah, on June 1, at 7pm.