JAZZ musician James Morrison is used to the fanciest of venues so it was quite something to see him play in front of a mound of dirt, the construction site at Ulumbarra theatre.
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The world famous trumpeter was in Bendigo on Friday morning to announce his involvement in launching the venue in April.
Morrison met with music students from schools across Bendigo who will perform with him in a community band for the theatre's launch.
Students played the well-known tune Chameleon on the trombone, trumpet, guitar and saxophone while Morrison astonished the audience of media, music teachers and council representatives with an improvised solo.
Morrison then taught the students an on-the-spot rendition of 'When the saints go marching in'.
After the impromptu show, Morrison said the city really needed Ulumbarra theatre.
There's so much going on here in the arts and culture and it really is the envy of a lot of other towns.
- James Morrison
"It's not common for a town to be ahead of its theatre, if you know what I mean, and there's so much going on here that this is instantly going to be a hit," he said.
"A lot of the shows I tour, we need a certain sized theatre to make it work and (Ulumbarra theatre) is really going to make a huge difference.
"There are towns that build a bigger theatre or build something new so that it creates some activity so that things will happen.
"Bendigo is the other way, it really needs this because, I think, the theatre is catching up to the town.
"There's so much going on here in the arts and culture and it really is the envy of a lot of other towns."
Morrison said he had performed in Bendigo in the past but not for a while because it didn't have a big enough theatre.
But he said the large stage and 1000-seat auditorium would make Ulumbarra an attractive venue for large shows.
The Capital theatre will manage Ulumbarra when it is complete.
Theatre manager David Lloyd said Ulumbarra was not about being an elite arts venue for artists of James Morrison's calibre to perform solo, it was designed for community use.
Mr Lloyd said La Trobe University, Bendigo Bank and schools would make regular use of the new space.
City of Greater Bendigo Futures director Stan Liacos said Bendigo was no longer a country town but a 'pulsing, vibrant, growing regional city'.
"When you build quality facilities, be it basketball stadiums, or athletics venues or theatres, the tide rises and the whole community lifts," he said.
