GIG REVIEW: CROWDED HOUSE + KATE MILLER-HEIDKE + THE BOAT PEOPLE
Review By Duncan McLeod
It was my first time in the Hunter Valley so we made a weekend of it. The weather held out beautifully and our accommodation was very lush and homely. We toured some local wineries and cheese places and bought from both. The real reason for the trip was to see CROWDED HOUSE.
We had no idea who the support act was, until we arrived at the venue. After some debacle with who had my tickets and whose name they were under we picked up our pre-booked hamper and headed for a central spot on the grass.
There was not one, but two support acts. None of the three bands who played had ever been seen by this reviewer. SPLIT ENZ & THE FINN BROTHERS yes but never CROWDED HOUSE.
The first act that came onto the stage (who this reviewer initially assumed were tech guys) was THE BOAT PEOPLE. These JJJ darlings rocked out with an all too brief set (shy of 30 minutes) of indie rock goodness, that had the first bus load of people to the grounds in a toe-tapping, smiling frenzy as they attempted to connect with a demographic who had largely never even heard of them let alone ever heard them play. They did a stellar job warming up the stage and this reviewer is now keen to buy their album they were so impressive.
THE BOAT PEOPLE departed and a short break ensued then on came the beautiful voice of KATE MILLER-HEIDKE. Today’s band make-up was a two-some. This reviewer later found out that HEIDKE only found out she was playing two weeks prior so perhaps that contributed to the stripped back band. Whatever the reason though, the sound worked and her voice cut through as wonderfully as it does on her albums. Her banter was good and the dynamic between herself and her guitarist was strong.
Her set included nice versions of ‘Can’t Shake It’, ‘Last Day On Earth’ and the song known to most of the older crowd as “that one from A Current Affair” (Caught in the Crowd). One of the best moments of the set though was hearing her angelic, classically trained voice cover Eminem’s ‘Real Slim Shady’. This had the audience applauding almost before the song was finished as Heidke demonstrated her true abilities as a real entertainer and one who likes to have a laugh and think outside the square.
The other track of note was ‘Are You F**king Kidding Me’ (The Facebook Song) that has become a hit for Heidke although not being released as a single, that helped to connect her with this ‘new’ audience and hopefully translates into a wider fan-base after the fact.
Despite some technical issues with the guitar, she performed well and did exactly what you’d hope of any musician, elevating her performance in a live situation rather than leaving you wishing you’d just stayed home with the CD.
Then there was CROWDED HOUSE. You couldn’t have asked for anything better. The show was the final stop in a world tour that had been on the road since March. The set was just shy of two hours and covered all their hits including ‘Better Be Home Soon’, ‘Don’t Stop Now’ ‘Something So Strong’ and ‘World Where You Live’ and delivered tracks from their latest release ‘Intriguer’ including the haunting ‘Elephants’ and the very apt ‘Saturday Sun’.
Despite the numerous line-up changes and the new, younger blood that courses through the band, it still sounded like CROWDED HOUSE and there is nothing wrong with that. Neil still has energy younger than his years and both he and the rest of the band seemed to feed off the live audience so well.
The audience sang along to all of the hits and you couldn’t pick one song in their set that was a stand out as the quality was top notch throughout. It is performances such as this that remind us why they have endured for so many years and continue to attract fans both young and old.
It was a great night on the lawn under the stars and completed the trilogy that is all things Brothers Finn for this reviewer.
From his own ‘Private Universe’ he couldn’t fault it.
Nice review.I totally agree that it was an excellent concert.Finn impressed me with his live performance.It was a natural, relaxed and polished performance.It didnt appear that he had to put in a lot of effort to sound great(probably due to decades of experience and those Finn genes).He certainly connected with the audience getting them to sing along.Singing along with Finn to my favourite tracks(Fall at your feet,Dont dream its over and Better be home soon)was just surreal.The drummer also caught my attention with his performance.It was everything a great concert should be and certainly met my expectations.
Indeed Riaz. There is a lot of talent in the band and they really had the audience in the palm of their hand throughout. Who were the acts that supported them in South Africa? I encourage you to check out music from the two Australian acts that supported them at this concert.
I think this might have been my favourite show of their Aussie tour, especially since I heard Nails In My Feet again(which I’d requested at the Wollongong concert)and how great was Hole In The River.
Thankyou Crowdies :0)
Totally agree Tabatha. Great show. Liked the new stuff but it was the first time I had heard it.
Thank you Crowdies indeed
There was one support act which was okay.I will certainly check out those support acts that you mentioned.Sounds like they really good…Australia has lproduced some great bands over the years..Midnight Oil and INXS are my favourites.The next oncert for me is Duran Duran in two weeks time and then in February the BIG one….the ultimate concert…U2…Watching Bono,Adam,Larry and the Edge performing live is a dream come true…One of my favourite bands!
U2 will certainly be a good show I’m sure. Glad you get to see some bands you love Riaz and that you appreciate Australian talent.