A little taste of Woodstock as rain, rock and cheeky banter come together at Paxton Wines.
Feature SA | Paxton Wines, McLaren Vale | 1 November 2026
There was something special about hearing the swampy blues sound of Creedence Clearwater Revival on a Sunday afternoon. More than 300 people had settled onto the grassy slope beneath a canopy of trees, creating a natural amphitheatre overlooking the stage. The crowd was friendly, and the whole afternoon had a cruisey feel.
The sold-out concert was part of the McLaren Vale Summer Concert Series, attracting a mainly older audience, many who would have grown up listening to Creedence. There were plenty of younger people enjoying the music as well. Nobody was going home hungry either, with two vendors serving delicious wood-fired pizzas. Coffee and drinks were also available.
Pizza, wine and great music. What more could you want?
Promoter and accomplished musician Dino Jag was a terrific host, making me feel welcome from the moment I arrived. He even took me backstage to meet the band in their massive green room, giving me a chance to hear a few stories firsthand.
Dino and fellow organiser Jordan Leonard are the team behind Ear Candy Events, putting on some fabulous concerts over the coming months. As Dino explained, the idea is simple: “Vintage wine, vintage rock. That's it.” And Creedence Revival were a perfect fit.
Frontman Simon Wilson handled lead vocals and bass guitar, delivering that distinctive raspy Creedence sound with plenty of personality. Alongside him, multi-skilled Mark Hawkins played lead guitar, saxophone and other instruments, while providing backing vocals alongside Quentin Eyers, who moved between guitar and piano. Behind the kit was Rob Dragani, keeping everything tight and steady.
The band certainly looked the part, with a variety of checked shirts rolled out across the afternoon. Rob wore a black-and-white striped top, taking inspiration from the original Creedence drummer.
His striking purple drumkit had a lovely backstory. His son, a big Metallica fan, showed him a YouTube video of drummer Lars Ulrich playing a similar kit. Rob liked it so much, he went out and bought one himself!
Musically, the band were excellent. Tight, confident and completely in sync with each other. Nothing rushed. Nothing overplayed. Every song had room to breathe. The sound was nicely balanced, with arrangements faithful to the earthy character of Creedence's music.
Early numbers included ‘Run Through the Jungle’ and ‘I Put a Spell on You’, the latter cheekily dedicated to the previous day's Halloween celebrations. Then came Simon's invitation to slow things down and “get a bit swampy” with ‘Susie Q’.
The audience gradually began leaving their seats, making their way towards the makeshift dance floor on the roadway in front of the stage. Simon encouraged them along, referring to the area as the “dance gravel”. He even thanked one gentleman for being the only bloke dancing amongst a sea of women, before spotting another.
‘Down on the Corner’ and ‘Green River’ kept things moving, before ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’ and ‘Lookin' Out My Back Door’ brought even more people onto the dance floor. At its peak, well over 100 people were dancing, turning the roadway into one big country party.
There were couples swaying together and plenty of people happily doing their own thing. One older lady had a particularly entertaining dance style that brought to mind Elaine from Seinfeld. Completely uninhibited, she was dancing like nobody was watching. And having the time of her life!
Then, right on cue, the rain came down during ‘Who'll Stop the Rain’. You couldn't have scripted it better! As showers swept across the stage area, the sound crew had their hands full protecting the speakers and electrical equipment. Water was finding its way towards the gear, but Simon wasn't about to let a little rain spoil the fun. “If you see me with an afro, it means I've been electrocuted,” he joked.
The rain also prompted a cheeky comparison with the legendary 1969 Woodstock festival, famous for its music, mud and free-spirited crowds. Simon couldn't resist having a laugh: “It's just like Woodstock. It happened at Woodstock, except they had their clothes off.” He even suggested the crowd could follow suit if they wanted the full experience!
‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ was a real highlight. Simon stretched his vocals into falsetto, backed by some terrific harmonies. The song then opened up into an extended instrumental workout, with Mark delivering a cracking lead guitar solo.
Quentin was equally impressive, adding his own touches without losing the feel of the original songs. These blokes knew their music, and it showed.
By the closing stretch, the dance floor was well and truly alive. ‘Fortunate Son’ brought its unmistakable driving rhythm and rebellious spirit to the afternoon, before ‘Travelin' Band’ rounded out the performance.
Four accomplished musicians. Timeless songs. No flashy production or unnecessary theatrics. Just great music, cheeky humour and the crowd loving every minute.
In the end, nobody stopped the rain. Nobody needed to.
McLaren Vale Summer Concert Series is a celebration of timeless music set in the beautiful Paxton Winery. Held on Sunday afternoons in the picturesque McLaren Vale, this monthly series brings the greatest hits from legendary artists to life, performed live among the lush vines.
Photography by Kate Needs & Brett Partington.
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