FIST FULL OF ROCK…Adalita/You Am I/Jebediah/Hoodoo Gurus Thebarton Theatre Friday 25 August 2017
Review by Geoff Jenke
What makes a great rock band? After viewing tonight’s line up, it has to be a 4-piece band with drums, bass, guitar and a singer. The singer must also play guitar. All four bands had this set up and they all ROCKED.
Adalita opened proceedings playing quite a few songs off her latest, wonderful, album All Day Venus. Songs such as Annihilate Baby, I Want Your Love and the superb Blue Sky soon had the appreciative crowd at the Thebby Theatre rocking. Not only is Adalita a good singer she is also a truly a great guitarist. The bass guitar featured loud during her set, adding a solid extra dimension to the sound of the band.
I had not seen Jebediah before and haven’t really followed their career but must admit was impressed with their set on the tonight. Kevin Mitchell cheekily opened the set with the announcement “I have been waiting my whole life for this moment”. They opened with Lino from their 1997 album Slightly Odway and I was immediately taken with the band. The short set consisted of their most famous songs, culminating with Animal, Harpoon and Fall Down with the crowd going crazy. The band left the stage with feedback screaming out of guitars left leaning against speakers till the road crew cut the power.
You A I hit the stage with Tim Rogers proclaiming “We’re a Rock n Roll band from Rock n Roll Land” and rock n roll they did. You Am I have been playing for 27 years and are still playing great short sharp rock songs. Tonight, we got Good Mornin, Cathy’s Clown and of course Berlin Chair. However, the real surprise were the covers of Cheap Tricks I Want You to Want Me and Deep Purple’s Black Night. Tim Rogers is the ultimate rock star and Davey Lane the ultimate rock band guitarist. A brilliant set.
The Hoodoo Gurus formed in 1981 and are still rocking out to this day. Being headline act they got to play longer with which was basically a “best of” set with, as front man Dave Faulkner said “A few head scratchers thrown in”. They opened with Tojo and along the way we got Death Defying, I Want You Back, My Girl, How Many Times, Leilana, Miss Freelove 69, and closes thing to a ballad we got all night, 1,000 Miles Away, just to name a few. Things cranked up to 11 for Form a Circle and I Was A Kamikaze Pilot, which rounded out the set. Still there was more with Like Wow Wipe Out and What’s My Scene finishing off the encore.
To finish the night, Dave Faulkner called out Tim Rogers and Davey Lane for an arousing version of Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz, Tim Rogers looking splendid in gold platform shoes. It was loud, loose, sloppy and wonderful.
A great evening of pure unadulterated rock. For my mind, all four bands were great but You Am I won the night. However, my photographer, Tony, claims The Hoodoo Gurus were the best on the night.
It doesn’t matter who we think was the best, they all ROCKED.
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