Valentino Safe Co. and Formidable Vegetable
Valentino Safe Co
Music Venue, Lilydale Tasmania
Formidable Vegetable Live
Images by Jim Jacob
Words by Rob Dickens
Valentino Safe Co
Rudy Valentino has been locksmithing for nearly twenty years, mostly in Tasmania. Collecting safes these days is definitely a goer, as bank branches drop like flies and the need for businesses to store and protect large amounts of cash is heading the way of the dodo. Back in the day, larger banks had about ten safes on their premises, lined up like sentinels.
On the other hand, there’s a selling market for these safes as well, with people keen to find a highly secure and tank-proof means of storing all sorts of highly valuable and/or potentially dangerous items, such as guns and postage stamps.
Ruby loves finding safes, cracking the combination (if necessary – some take a day or two and it’s important not to damage the item), getting keys to unlock and uncovering their contents, just like a treasure chest – and never knowing what he might find. After years of collecting safes, Rudy opened a workshop in Lilydale, twenty minutes northeast of Launceston (Tasmania’s second-largest city) specialising in the opening, repairs and restoration of safes, which can weigh between 2 and 3 tonnes each. The oldest in the collection? 1854!
Starting with open mic. nights, Rudy has managed to convert the space, get a liquor licence and attract some fine musicians to perform in this wonderfully quirky venue in an old service station festooned with keys, tools, interesting paraphernalia, pre-loved furniture and soft lights. (It takes him a day to move the safes to the perimeter and get the place ready to get the great vibe for performances).
The Valentino Safe Co turns into a music venue once a month (give or take). To date, artists appearing here include Sweet Talk, Mojo Webb, Pete Cornelius, Tom Dockray and Racoon Dog (Rudy plays drums in that band).
Valentino Safe Co. and Formidable Vegetable
Formidable Vegetable
From a small town in Western Australia to the glory of the World stage, Formidable Vegetable is sowing the garden of our minds with the seeds of change to Turnip the Beets for people, plants and the Planet.
Band website
Originating in 2012 with ukulele-strummer (and author) Charlie Mgee, Formidable Vegetable has organically grown its dedicated following over the years on a mission to inspire local action for global issues and regenerative movements worldwide. The group’s composition varies from time to time but the trio of Mgee, Mal Webb (trombonist and born entertainer) and Kyle Morrigan (delightful violin) were on show this night, which was a part of their ‘In Life’ tour of thirty-eight shows in six weeks.
Having toured more than twenty countries over the past decade, the band’s simple messages of ecology and self-sufficiency to crowds of thousands has resonated at some of the world’s biggest festivals and even received praise from the United Nations, who declared their song “You Are What You Eat” as the official soundtrack to the International Year of Soils in 2015. The group has graced many festival stages including Glastonbury (UK), Secret Garden Party (UK), BOOM (Portugal), Shambhala (Canada), Symbiosis (USA), Woodford (QLD) and Rainbow Serpent (VIC).
At Valentino’s, Formidable Vegetable were a delight, a spectacular procession of world music, reggae and ditties, cleverly interspersed with laughs and serious permaculture threads. The audience was on its feet in joyful motion throughout.
“No Such Thing As Waste”, “Dad’s Dunny” (their no.2 hit…groan) and the aforementioned “You Are What You Eat” were a part of their compelling repertoire.
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More Music Adventures Await!
Valentino Safe Co. and Formidable Vegetable
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