The Spiegeltent – Sunday 06 March 2022
Words – Geoff Jenke
Photos – Sue Kitchen and Peter Lanyon
Even have been around for about 28 years now and in 2021 they released what is arguably their best album in Reverse Light Years. So, on a balmy Sunday afternoon at the Fringe, you would have expected to hear lots of songs from the new album. However, Even don’t do the expected and what we got was basically a greatest hits set with a little emphasis on the album A Different High, with five tracks being played from that album.
The band started with Stop and Go Man, with Ash explaining the “mashed potato fight” line after the song. Apparently, it was a real event in the 90’s. “Ah, the crazy 90’s” commented Ash. Usually reserved for later in the set, Black Umbrella came up next to wild applause.
Ash introduced Anton Ruddick on guitar, who plays with the band Swedish Magazines, adding an extra depth to the sound. Is Even turning it’s back on being a Power Trio and looking at being a fully-fledged four-piece Rock Band?
Cherry Afterglow and Dandy Stomp were played from the new album, with Ash commenting how good it was to be on the same bill as Arj Barker, who was playing the Spiegeltent after Even.
Then it was back to the hits, with Shining Star, (the last song by Even to get played on radio JJJ) Don’t Wait, Electric Light and the shortest version of Rock and Roll Save My Life I have ever heard them play. Basically, just a verse and a chorus before Ash introduced Wally who sang Foreigners Urgent. Wally would have still been on a high after playing support to The Foo Fighters just 2 nights before with his “other” band The Meanies. Although speaking to Wally just before the show, he commented they played The Ninchfest in Victoria the night after and that was a “bigger buzz”.
With Even you never know what you will get song wise. While the set list showed two more songs from Reverse Light Years, Ash commented the show was called Gold Sunday, a song from the latest album and to be their next single, but it wasn’t on the set list. Ash decided to play it despite some weird looks from Wally and Matt. They obviously hadn’t played it much live. After a little practice, and a false start, they managed to get through the song. It sounded a little rough but that is rock n roll.
A blistering Life Gets in the Way set the scene for Ash to play “rock god” on the small cat walk during a sensational version of Bowie in my Dreams, a song that just doesn’t get played enough. You don’t get a better ending to a rock show than those two songs.
The show was apparently being recorded and Ash made several comments about a “live album” coming. He also told the audience the postponed January Jive show will take place early July. Fingers crossed on both.
A Gold Class act on a Gold Sunday afternoon.
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