Tiger Tales

MY TRAVEL MEMORIES

Billy Birmingham

When he’s not impersonating sporting greats, this Sydney-based satirist – known as “The 12th Man” – makes a habit of holidaying in Melbourne

FAVOURITE CITY TO VISIT IN AUSTRALIA?

I love going to Melbourne. There’s something about the place that is prosperous. The people are stylish and I just love the clubs and bars. Unlike Sydney, where you need to pay a hundred million bucks and hand over your first-born child for a liquor license for a small bar, the Melbourne bar scene has always led the way. And it’s not just in the city centre, you can be walking down a suburban street in somewhere like Richmond and a nondescript doorway opens into a fabulous bar or restaurant.

FIRST MELBOURNE MEMORY?

I’ve been travelling there since I was a kid in the ‘60s. Then in my 20s, I managed a rock band and used to visit all kinds of venues in and around Melbourne that were a bit rough around the edges.

MEMORABLE MEAL?

QI was down for the ARIA Hall of Fame awards and it was one of those nights – we’d been out partying until 3am and slept in until 11am and we were all in need of some serious “hair of the dog”. My mate, the radio DJ Barry Bissell, who I like to call “Mr Melbourne”, took me to this amazing Greek restaurant called Hellenic Republic owned by George Calombaris, the guy from TV’s MasterChef. The food was fantastic and the dishes just kept coming. I ate too much before the lamb arrived, but I didn’t care as I hedonistically savoured those amazing Greek flavours until I almost burst.

FIRST VISIT TO THE MCG?

The MCG is the most-hallowed sporting turf in all of Australia and in the ‘60s my uncle took me there for my first Aflgame. The Demons played the Saints and that memory is frozen in time for me. I can still hear the melody of the fans singing “Come on the Demons”. I’d never been in the proximity of such rabid fans and I was almost as intrigued by them as I was by the game itself.

MEMORABLE SHOPS?

Melbourne is the place to go shopping for clothes, especially on Chapel Street and Toorak Road. I remember buying a Yohji Yamamoto suit in the ‘80s for the ARIAs. It’s a rock ’n’ roll event so you’ve pretty much got to be naked to get noticed, so I bought this suit that was pale purple sharkskin with a bit of a shine. I remember being horrified at the cost and it’s a bit tight now, so I’ve saved it for my sons!

MOST MEMORABLE TRIP IN ASIA?

It’s got to be Thailand for my mate Jimmy Barnes’ 50th birthday at his house a few hours south of “Bangers”. His wife Jane is Thai, and a few years back they had about 150 mates there to celebrate. Boy was it a party! The highlight of the night was seeing some of Jimmy’s mates getting up and jamming. Neil Finn, Diesel, Tex Perkins and Tim Rogers got up and played some of Jimmy’s songs and classics from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I’ve been to some good jams in my life, but this one left me absolutely pinching myself.

The 12th Man Box Set, which includes bonus material along with seven No 1 albums, is available in stores now.