Presentation Night Review

The concept is simple enough – bring together an Aussie Rules player, let’s say, one of the nice guys from Sydney’s very own team, and put them together with an equally loyal and all-round nice guy Sydneysider musician. Give them a mic, some beer and put them on stage in an inner-west pub. What you have is Presentation Night #4, with ex-Swan Jude Bolton and hip hop mastermind Tim ‘Urthboy’ Levinson.

Aussie rules commentator Francis Leach was our host for the evening and he did a superb job of keeping the evening chat flowing, directing questions at each guest with professional ease. Both were forthcoming with interesting, poignant and witty anecdotes of their personal and professional career, traversing subjects such as family, music, coaching and Humphrey B. Bear.

Bolton’s recounting of stories from his successful playing days, including ‘mad Mondays’ at inner-west pubs and naming the best and worst tastes in music from his team mates (Katy Perry? Really?) combined well with Urthboy’s experiences coaching an under-ten cricket team in the Blue Mountains and knowing all of the words to A Tribe Called Quest’s second album, The Low End Theory.

While it seemed that most of the packed front room at the Vic were there to see Bolton, when Urthboy took to the mic to sing three of his tunes together with Youth Group’s Toby Martin, the crowd reacted keenly, although asking a ‘footy crowd’ to sing We Get Around might have been asking a bit too much.

With well thought-out segments and visual aids in the form of photos and music, the night was a resounding success and will hopefully encourage more mixing of the sports and music world.