Barry Morgan’s Home Organ Party Experience

If you’ve seen the ABC show Spicks And Specs, chances are you saw an episode with organist Barry Morgan (a.k.a. Stephen Teakle). He has done shows throughout the world, and made many people laugh with organ adaptations of famous pop songs and his wacky facial expressions while playing. Now you can see it live at this year’s Melbourne Fringe Festival. We got to speak to the wacky “Barry” about his hilarious new show.

What are your favourite songs to play?
I like them all, but I must say I have been having a lot of fun of over the years. ‘The Elephant Walk’ is popular. I’ve been doing wedding gigs. There I’ve done ‘Friday I’m In Love’ by The Cure. I’ll be bringing the idea of an organ divorce party for Adelaide. With songs like ‘Am I Ever Going To See Your Face Again’.

What inspires your wacky dress sense?
In my generation, it’s Martin’s Menswear gentlemen fitters at the Sunnyside Mall. They’re brand new and groovy; you would find these at op shops in Melbourne. The safari suit, we are bringing it back with Safari Suit Sunday.

How many times have you performed for Melbourne Fringe? What makes you keep coming back to it?
I’ve done a couple over the years. Melbourne is a second home. I want to open a franchise in Melbourne of World Of Organs, maybe in Prahran. I enjoy the experimental nature of a Fringe festival, where everyone can try new stuff. We will be doing that this week at Fringe with a new organ.

What would you say the show is about?
It’s a good old fashioned party that is as is as modern as tomorrow. It’s like a Tupperware party but with less plastic and more organ.

So what is a home organ party?
Balloons, streamers, the final record collection, and my favourite 45s.

What made you decide to combine the music of the organ to the sounds of a computer?
What I’ve been doing is recording the organs into the computer, then playing them back. In World Of Organs, we have 25 different organs. I’m unable to bring them all on the road. I tried recording it on my Atari computer, but it broke. I smoke the Atari. I have a young groovy laptop operater named Callum who looks like me in the future. I’m getting young, you see.

Barry Morgan’s Home Organ Party Experience
Fringe Hub – The Ballroom, Lithuanian Club, 44 Errol Street, North Melbourne
Friday September 18 – Thursday September 24
melbournefringe.com.au/program/event/view/5e0b08bd-c693-4062-86f1-6dca54f8c472