Closely after it was conceived in 1997 I have been following and thoroughly entertained by Monsieur Camembert over the years. When my late father saw them play at Manly Beach in the early 1980s he enthused that it was the best Klezmer band that he had heard since he left Poland in 1939.
On the most recent occasion I found myself for the first time attending at the band’s spiritual and physical home, the Camelot Lounge in Marrickville. As a result the band played in an expanded format which included a grand piano and a full set of drums.
The Camelot Lounge was founded by lead singer and South African import Yaron Hallis. The band’s mixture of gypsy, tango and yiddish melodies with a smattering of Leonard Cohen songs had the audience toe tapping and swaying if seated and dancing in the cramped aisles.
The band will be playing an alternate set of music entitled ‘Golden Earrings’ on May 30, 2022.
All images by Ben Apfelbaum
