Last Friday night I had the pleasure of seeing one of my favourite childhood performers Peter Combe, of “Toffee Apple”, “Juicy, Juicy Green Grass” and “Newspaper Mama” fame, live at Ding Dong Bar in Melbourne.

I was not expecting it to be so “live and rocking”, but the atmosphere was great, and everyone really got into it.

I have to admit, I haven’t listened to Combe since high school, when my best friend and I would dig out the old tapes and records (I’m really showing my age now, aren’t I?!) and sing along to my favourite song, “Baghdad”.

Once Combe sung the familiar lyrics—“Where’s your bag, Dad, your bag? You left your bag, Dad, in Baghdad”—I was a happy “Little Caterpillar”.

Word on the street is that there will be a Christmas show at the Corner Hotel this year, and the Ding Dong show is set to be an annual occurrence. With toffee apples and newspaper hats on arrival, what more could we ask? Childhood nostalgia at its best.