Live Review: Presentation Night #3 Ft Cameron Ling & Paul Dempsey

Though Cameron Ling doesn't carry the cult status of former Presentation Night guests Matthew Richardson and Bob Murphy, he makes up for it with his football résumé, having played 246 AFL games for the Geelong Cats including three premierships. Tonight is a celebration of music and football and, fittingly, Ling walks on stage to the sounds of Buddy Holly. He begins by reminiscing over his parents' vinyl collection which included the likes of The Everly Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel and The Beach Boys. But then, Ling tells us, he rebelled as a teenager, acquiring his own tastes beginning with a cassette of AC/DC's The Razors Edge. Ling shares stories about his teammates' musical preferences, including James Kelly's fascination with gangsta rap and how David Wojcinski would pump weights to Korn in the gym. He also reveals Xavier Rudd's Green Spandex featured heavily in his own pre-match routines.
Through his work at Channel 7, Ling tells of a chance opportunity to interview The Beach Boys and proudly displays a photo of himself, his father and Mike Love. Now a seasoned media professional, Ling spends the night answering and asking questions, as comfortable on the stage as he was on the football field. His fellow guest Paul Dempsey, on the contrary, is mellow and always understated, casually glossing over Something For Kate's number one record and their ARIA nominations. He offers musical anecdotes of touring with David Bowie, turning down a dinner with Bruce Springsteen due to his own recording commitments and how a photo shoot between his mother and Julio Iglesias ended badly. Dempsey plays a recording of his mother and auntie's Gaelic folk band from 1978 and talks about his upbringing and how he was surrounded by musicians. A remarkably tall man and avid St Kilda supporter, host Francis Leach fails to ask the guests about any junior football achievements and, regretfully, gets lured into asking a musician questions about music. Dempsey performs three songs, including his band's 2003 hit Déjà Vu, a stirring acoustic rendition of Born To Run and, fittingly, The Angels' Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again to honour the passing of Doc Neeson earlier today.
Presentation Night isn't overly original in its format – three men at a pub talking about football – but what makes it so unique is the access you get to professionals discussing their crafts.