Featuring Lisa Edwards from the Farnham Band on vocals, the show will cover tracks from seminal Skyhooks albums Living in the 70s and Ego is Not A Dirty Word.

Starkie told The Border Mail he’s enjoying performing with a different lineup.

“It does have a chemistry and it’s fun, because they’re all really great players,” he says.

“It’s not just a bunch of players going through the motions - it’s actually a really great band.”

Luckily, Edwards can hit the same notes as Skyhooks’ original singer, the late Graeme Strachan, or Shirley.

“Shirley had such a high voice,” Starkie says.

“I’ve yet to find a guy who can sing that high, and there’s not many girls who can sing that high, believe it or not.

“I can’t come near Shirley, let me tell you - you’ve really got to be on your game.”

The songs on the Million Dollar Riff set list leave little room for improvisation, but Starkie says the addition of Steve Williams on saxophone adds a new element to the live performance.

“It’s like Skyhooks, but a little bit punchier - it’s a bigger sound,” he says.

Meanwhile, Skyhooks recently released a three-CD box set, Don’t Believe What You’ve Seen or You’ve Heard, in celebration of 40 years of ‘hooks hysteria.

The package features original demos from the band and live tracks from touring in 1974 to 1975.

Starkie is passionate about the finished product. 

“I actually think it’s the best record we’ve ever released, in many respects,” he says.

“Greg Macainsh has remastered it, so it sounds really good.”

It was a trip down memory lane for Starkie to listen to the songs and demos after all these years.

“I’m listening to myself playing back when I was about 22 years of age,” he says.

“I’m a much more developed guitarist, back then it was off the top of your head.

“As young guys, we sure put it together, we were pretty committed.

“I couldn’t do that now, we don’t operate like that now - that output and that energy.

“As a guitarist, it’s great for me to be able to go out and play that stuff because if I’m on my own, I just play rock ‘n’ roll – I’m heavily into Chuck Berry and that style of playing, James Burton and Scotty Moore.”