Paul McCartney - Allianz Stadium - Sydney

 

Paul McCartney

Allianz Stadium – Sydney

27 October 2023

 

 

 

You forget.

 

You really do.

 

You forget how many great songs Paul McCartney has written.

 

But don’t worry. He reminds you how many songs he has written during the night. He doesn’t just give you hits (although you get plenty of those – Sgt Peppers, Can’t Buy Me Love, Jet, Band On The Run… I could go on …) he also gives you a selection of songs throughout his long and varied career.

 

It would have been easy to just play a bunch of Beatles songs and a bunch of Wings songs, but he does more than that. What you do get is a proper band playing a set with ebbs and flows. He says that he can tell when we like a song because all our phones come out and it looks like he’s playing to a galaxy of stars. But when he plays a new one it’s like playing into a black hole. He sort of jokes, that he doesn’t care because he’s going to play the new ones anyway. Who is complaining? One of the best songwriters of the 20^th century can basically do no wrong. He has written so many great songs in so many different styles that even his new songs are still better than most other artists hits.

 

You also forget how long he’s been doing this. He started the Beatles with John Lennon when he was 15 (which was 65 years ago). So, he knows what he is doing. He knows how to hold a crowd. 

 

High points? There are so many. The encore opened with a virtual duet of I’ve Got A Feeling between him and John. That’s the closet most of us will ever get to see the Beatles perform. Just hearing their voices together was an emotional moment.

 

Hey Jude was a communal experience. The song is potentially dulled by familiarity, but it lost none of its power when sung with a chorus of 40,000 people. It felt as fresh as the day it was written. Magical.

 

Get Back was another highlight. The documentary of the making of the Let it Be album “Get Back” might actually be the best music film of all time. Seeing Paul McCartney seemingly create the song out of thin air right before your eyes is a literal jaw dropping moment. A whole essay could be written about that one scene. So, to see it performed live was incredible. 

 

And then there was the tribute to George Harrison with Something or there was Jet… or Maybe I’m Amazed… or Blackbird… or…, well, you get the idea.

 

The set ends with the 3 song suite from Abbey Road and you’re reminded “oh yeah, I forgot he wrote those too”. They might not be as high profile as some of the other songs in his catalogue, but they’re all great. Isn’t everything?

 

I’m left with one final thought. After we’re all long gone and forgotten, Paul McCartney and his songs, definitely won’t be. 

The Chicks - Qudos Bank Arena

 

 

 

 

 

The Chicks 

Qudos Bank Arena

19 October 2023

 

It’s a human thing.

 

As you get older you become the sum of your experiences. Some good. Some not.

 

It’s fair to say that the Chicks have had their fair share of both. In 1998 they sold more CDs than all the other country acts combined. By July 2000 they had become the best-selling all-woman band and best-selling country group in the US. They were on top of the world. But the fall was swift and brutal. They were cancelled before being cancelled was even a thing. Bad mouthing a president seems quaint now (and it’s amazing thinking that Dubya isn’t the worst President the US has had by a long shot… imagine telling us that in 2003… but I digress). But in 2003 it was a scandal. Radio stopped playing their songs, people burned their CDs. Then came the death threats.

 

This is all documented in probably the best music film I’ve ever seen (Shut Up and Sing) and I think their response to being cancelled and their attitude afterwards makes them, in my eyes, the most hardcore punk rock band in the entire world. They don’t take shit from anyone anymore.

 

In addition to all of that, Natalie Maines went through a divorce so scarring that the details are suppressed by court. That doesn’t matter though. All is revealed in her songs.

 

A silver lining to being cancelled is that if you get through it, you don’t have to care what anyone else thinks about you.

 

It’s freeing. Liberating. 

 

The concert was filled with songs from the Chicks newest album and tell a tale of heartbreak, betrayal, revenge, rage and love. Pretty much the full range of emotions.

 

Their rage was not just limited to songs of personal heartbreak. Tackling topics that might have once been taboo, especially to their mostly conservative audience (Black Lives Matter, Gun Control, Abortion Rights), they now have no fear in bringing these topics up in songs like March March and Gaslighter. They’re on the right side of history. 

 

That sums up the band to me. They are fearless.

 

Not only are the Chicks old school entertainers – you can tell they cut their teeth getting the attention of rooms that didn’t want to know them – they give their audience exactly what they want. But they do more than that. They let you into their world.

 

They reveal themselves to you.

 

They show you their scars.

 

They haven’t come through all of this unscathed. But that’s OK. That just makes them human. 

Candlelight Concert - Taylor Swift - NGA

 

Fanny Lumsden - Street Theatre

 

 

 

 

Fanny Lumsden

Street Theatre

4 August 2023

 

Some gigs are about the big gestures and others are about the small details. Fanny Lumsden was all about the intimate moments and making you feel that this was a special moment that was only for those fortunate enough to be in the room.

 

On album release day for the excellent Hey Dawn album both the band and crowd were happy to be in the room. Ecstatic might be a better description.

 

You’d call Fanny Lumsden a country artist, but, as the song goes, she’s a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. Also, while we’re at it, a little bit pop and a whole lot of energy. You can’t help but get swept up in her enthusiasm and have a good time!

 

The best moments were when they broke the band down to the 4 members who played Glastonbury (yes, that Glastonbury – she said proudly that she’ll probably never stop talking about it)! and showed how strong these songs are when broken down to their bare bones.

 

Or maybe it was when the band gave the audience a choice (this happened a couple of times) and we chose a song they hadn’t played in years. You couldn’t tell. It was both flawless and confident. Loose but not out of control. Intimate, yet universal. That pretty much sums up the entire performance. One you couldn’t help but get swept up by.

Flower Market

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flower Market

Sideways Bar

28 July 2023

 

It’s rare to see the full life cycle of a band but that’s what we saw on Friday night. We witnessed the first official live performance of Flower Market at the Yacht Club in 2021 and if, as I suspect that this hiatus is indefinite, we witnessed the final Flower Market performance at Sideways Bar on Friday.

 

The band announced at the gig that they were going on hiatus because the lead guitarist was moving to Melbourne. On what may be their final show, it had a bit of a celebratory feel, but mixed with a hint of melancholy. The band were tight, playing songs they said were “old as fuck” (amusing given they must be 20 years old at most) to a song that was just released on Spotify that morning. It was a touching gig. It was nice seeing a band splitting up without any hint of recrimination. The band were sad to see their friend leave, but wanted to celebrate their time together.

 

Unless you’re U2, Metallica or the Rolling Stones, all bands break up. It’s a sad fact of life. What has been great about Flower Market, aside from hearing their songs, is watching them grow as performers. All of the band members are around my children’s age so to see them develop from being good, but nervous, musicians at their first gig to a confident band that knows how to work a stage and how to play their songs has been great.

 

Each of them are accomplished musicians. There is no weak link in this band, but the sum of their talents is even greater than the individual components. The bass player never only plays root notes, the drummer doesn’t just provide just a solid back foundation for the songs, the lead guitarist is one of the best musicians I’ve heard and the lead singer brings it all together.  Not only that, they have a chemistry that can only come from being old school friends. Oh, and most importantly all their songs are fantastic. 

 

So, should they look back at their time as Flower Market as a success? How do you measure success anyway? Is it platinum records? Is it playing to festival crowds? Sure, they are both definitely measures of success. But what about success on a smaller scale. They made recordings (93 thousand plays on Spotify for one of their songs!) they sold t-shirts, they had interstate gigs. That’s success by any measure. 

 

I’m not exactly sure what they would have needed to get pushed to the next level. But they weren’t lacking talent or conviction. They weren’t lacking songs. Maybe they just needed a lucky break? We all know that’s impossible to manufacture.

 

Walking home past a covers band that was inevitably being paid more for one night’s gig than Flower Market earned for their entire “career” was a little depressing. I bemoaned the sad fact that most people only want to hear songs they know, rather than original music. Here’s hoping that the hiatus isn’t permanent. They had great songs and I’d like to hear them again.

ABBA Voyage

 

ABBA Voyage – London

17 July 2023

 

Does this count? Was this really a concert? 

 

ABBA performing as digital versions of themselves (self-styled ABBA-tars) was always going to be a unique experience. While it was not perfect, it was almost like going back in a time machine and seeing ABBA in their heyday. They could easily have put on the CD of ABBA Gold and everyone would have been happy, but they didn’t do that. It flowed like a concert, it had audience interaction like a concert. It felt like a concert.

 

The best part of any concert is if you have an emotional connection with the performer. But can you really have an emotional connection with a performer if that performer is an avatar? It turns out that you can.

 

When the ABBA-tars were human sized they worked well. When they were blown up and projected on the large screen (as happens with every modern concert) it was a bit like watching a YouTube video. There were a couple of animated parts (I mean the whole thing was animated… but this was like a cut scene from a CGI film) that felt like filler and using footage of Waterloo from Eurovision in 1974, while a cute nod to their past, dragged me out of the performance. However, two of my concert companions particularly liked that part of the show, so clearly this view is not universal.

 

There was a live band on stage playing the music, while ABBA provided the vocals via tape. For one song the band took over and did a song by themselves while ABBA “walked off stage” and that’s when the concept actually came into sharp focus. With the ABBA vocals removed, it was exactly like seeing a good covers band. As talented as the band was, it was nothing special.

 

But with ABBA performing it was mesmerising – revealing the melancholy heart to these songs. Few bands perform such sunny melodies with such (bleak) heartbreaking lyrics. You have to go a long way to find finer songwriters and the vocal harmonies are unsurpassed.

 

For the more popular songs (SOS, Dancing Queen, etc…) I definitely had a physical and emotional response to the songs. That was completely unexpected. That’s more than can be said for some “real bands”.

 

So yes, it definitely counts.  This was a real concert.

 

Highly recommended.

Depeche Mode - Berlin Olympic Stadium

Depeche Mode

Olympic Stadium – Berlin

7 July 2023

 

“God, I wish that guy wasn’t so tall”.

 

It’s a different feeling when “that guy” blocking the view of the stage is your son and you’ve dragged him halfway around the world to see your favourite band. 

 

The last time I took my family to one of my favourite bands (U2 in Sydney) their response was polite at best, so I was a little nervous. “it was like seeing a bunch of old men on stage” “they were running out of breath”. Those were some of the comments. It felt a bit like U2 didn’t quite reach top gear. Not that they were phoning it in so much as they were keeping something in reserve if they needed it. It kind of felt a bit like they were cruising.

 

It turns out I had nothing to fear.

 

Seeing Depeche Mode in their spiritual home is definitely a bucket list item. They’ve got quite a history in the city (recorded 3 albums here) and I think the Berliners have taken them to heart.

 

To be fair, it took the band a little while to get out of first gear. They had a bit of a slow start by playing a couple of tracks from their (admittedly very good) new album but the crowd mostly tolerated those songs, rather than give them a euphoric reception. 

 

However, the crowd really lifted when they started playing their hits. It certainly felt like both the band and the audience went up a gear or two. Dave Gahan must surely be one of the greatest front men ever and you can see how the death of Andy Fletcher last year has brought him and Martin Gore closer together.

 

For a band that have has a career of 40 years they played something for everyone - 80s pop (Everything Counts and Just Can’t Get Enough) their black goth phase (Stripped), 90s classics (I Feel You, It’s No good) their big hits (Personal Jesus, Enjoy the Silence, Never Let Me Down) and more recent songs (Precious, Wrong).

 

One of the highlights might have been Violator album track “Waiting for the Night”. Martin and Dave’s voices combined beautifully and the harmony was carried by the crowd for minutes after the song was over. We would still be there singing if they hadn’t put on the afterburners (Sorry, I’ve taken this “gear analogy” a bit too far) and came home with a wet sail (now I’m mixing metaphors). Anyway, the closing trio of songs (Just Can’t Get Enough, Never Let Me Down Again and Personal Jesus) were more than enough to leave everyone happy.

 

They left nothing in the tank and certainly weren’t cruising.   

 

But never mind all that. What did that tall guy think about the concert?

 

Before the concert I was pretty confident I could predict my family’s reactions.   

I anticipated my “grow your own concert buddy” daughter would be very excited. She was. One down. 

The “tall guy” is the only proper musician in the family and is hard to please. He’s got very high standards. I was fearing what he would say.  But I saw him sing along to the songs and it looked like he had a great time.  That’s two!

My wife? I feared that she would probably not be happy having to stand for hours and complain about having a sore back and not being able to see. This also proved to be true. So, three from three for my predictions, but probably I’d need to work on the last one. 

 

Let’s chalk this down as a success.

 

But maybe next time we’ll get seats…

Archie - Live at the Polo

 

Chicago - Tim Murray Theatre CGS

 

Phoenix Collective - Tribute to Coldplay - All Saints Ainslie

 

Groovin the Moo

 

Fatboy Slim, Ball Park Music, Amy Shark (and Russell Crowe) and Confidence Man.

Groovin the Moo
23 April 2023
EPIC Showground Canberra

Cover songs can often tell you more about a band than their originals. While not all bands did covers at GTM, the ones that did gave a quick shorthand into the character of those bands.

The Chats did a cover of “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss.  Kiss are, let me remind you, a band that wear make up, breathe fire and spits blood. Not a band known for its subtlety. The Chats made Kiss look like a band full of nuance and deft touches. They blasted through the song, like the rest of their set, at breakneck speed with little room for detail.

Amy Shark had added star power in her set with Maximus himself, Russell Crowe, helping sing one song. I’m still not entirely convinced by the singing skills of the Gladiator. As a singer he makes a great actor. He didn’t sing on her cover of “Mr Brightside”, but while the crowd loved the song, her version, much like the rest of her set, felt a step off the pace. All the elements were there except the magical x factor.  

Ocean Alley’s cover of “Baby Come Back” by Player was note perfect. Note perfect but impersonal. Six professional musicians playing professionally. Flawlessly. Efficiently. But not much else.

Ball Park Music are almost the perfect festival band. I know this sounds obvious, but I think their secret is that they have lots of really good songs in their catalogue that lots of people know. That’s easier said than done. I think part of the reason can be found in their choice of cover “You’ve got a friend in me” from Toy Story. It’s a little bit twee, a little bit clever, done un-ironically and a song that everyone knew and had an attachment to. Much like the rest of BPM’s set. You were in safe hands with them. A highlight of the festival.

Other bands that didn’t do covers but are worth mentioning were Nothing but Thieves from the UK.  They were great. BBNO$, a rapper from Canada, was really good doing an early afternoon set. He also had a guest on stage, but a drunk punter doesn’t quite match having the Gladiator as your guest. Confidence Man… super entertaining. Bordering on Milli Vanilli territory with their music but they provided something to watch at every moment. They put the show into show business.   

I could be a smart arse and say that Fat Boy Slim had a couple of covers in his set. But he’s a DJ and that’s the whole point… he sent us all home with a set of classics. Some his own, some borrowed. 

Harry Styles - Sydney Olympic Park

 

Harry Styles

Sydney Olympic Stadium

4 March 2023

 

 

“Is that what you’re wearing?”

 

The question came from my daughter.

 

She repeats it.

 

“Is that what you’re wearing. I can’t go to a concert with you if that’s what you’re wearing.”

 

Shouldn’t that conversation be reversed? Shouldn’t I be saying that to her?  But she looks fabulous. 

 

I don’t want this to be all about me, but I don’t think I’m too unstylish. It’s not like I wear the clothes that my dad wore (socks and sandals are a fashion crime. Let me just leave it at that).  Anyway, I think my outfit is fine.  

 

You know that you hear people say that things were better in their day? But what if we are wrong? Maybe (and don’t say this too loud) maybe the kids are right? They view their attendance at a concert as a vital part of the show. And you know what? They’re right. On Saturday night they came dressed the part. Feather boas, cowboy hats, sequins, costumes. The whole place was buzzing. There’s no doubt that the atmosphere was fantastic. 

 

When Harry himself made an appearance the excitement level went up a notch or two. I mean, of course he looked fabulous and you might bristle if I call him a singer-songwriter (isn’t he just an escapee from a boyband?). But his songs really speak to the current generation. There are modern concerns such as depression and anxiety mixed with timeless topics like heartbreak, love and loss.

 

The current king of pop (Grammy for album of the year no less) is an old school performer. I don’t know if he cut his teeth in the working clubs in the UK, but it sure feels like it. He can dance, sing, do some comedy and act a little. Yes, he’s your all round entertainer.  

 

The gig really had it all. Aside from "All singing, all dancing" Harry, it featured a duet with Daryl Braithwaite on Horses, a psychic reading and a gender reveal! No, I'm not making any of that up.

 

Special mention should go to Wet Leg. It was great seeing an indie band support such a major pop star.  But the star of the show was definitely Harry. And the crowd. They were singing along to the intermission music. I needed ear plugs not for the band, but for the crowd. 

 

So what was I wearing?  It turns out that I was the most underdressed man in Olympic Park. My daughter was right. Next time I’ll have to lift my game.  

Del Amitri - Enmore Theatre

 

Del Amitri
Enmore Theatre
28 February 2023

I was going to be a bit glib with my opening line …

“A bunch of old men trying to relive their youth … but enough about the audience…”

However, there is an element of truth to that dad joke. Not the "trying to relive their youth” bit, but trying to answer the question of how does a rock band age gracefully?

Del Amitri opened their set, on their first Australian tour in 30 years, with When You Were Young. The lyrics spoke directly to the audience.

So look into the mirror
Do you recognise someone?
Is it who you always hoped you would become
When you were young?

They knew their crowd. They knew who they were speaking to. 

Even in their heyday Del Amitri were never cool. They play straight ahead rock music that leans slightly into folk rock territory. So not really cool. But what they do have is a set of songs with catchy hooks and memorable lyrics. Those things never go out of style. The band obviously knew what the audience wanted. While they never had too many hits, they did play all of their most well known songs (Kiss This Thing Goodbye, Nothing Ever Happens, Roll to Me, etc). 

A highlight for me was Always the Last to Know. In our house we have a phrase called the Justin Currie Twist (TM). It comes from that song. In it he starts the song singing

So you're in love with someone else
Someone who burns within your soul
And it looks like I am the last to know

and ends it with

Or if he's cheated on you
Like I cheated on you, oh
You were the last to know

I’ll never get tired of that. I never thought I would hear the band sing it live. It was a bit of a moment.  

The night wasn’t entirely nostalgia. Having released a new album after a 20 year break, they played a good selection of songs from it. You Can’t Go Back and I’m so Scared of Dying were both highlights and showed that they had matured in their outlook and were writing songs for their audience. I hate to say that they were age appropriate… but they were.

At one point in the set an audience member yelled “good one boys”. Lead singer JC deadpanned into the microphone “sorry to disappoint you sir, but it’s a long time since we’ve been boys”
So not boys at all. I think they can be proud of the men they became.