The Gov
Sunday 4 Septe00mber 2022
Words – Geoff Jenke
Photos – Robert McArthur
Has it really been over 40 years since the release of The Church’s debut album Of Skins and Heart? I am of the age I remember hearing The Unguarded Moment single and rushing to buy the album on release. A lot of water (and album releases) has past under the bridge since 1981 and Steve Kilbey is the sole remaining original member in the band. Drummer Tim Powles has been with Steve since 1994 and ex Powderfinger guitarist, Ian Haug since 2013. One of Steve’s stories on the night recounts the band, just after Ian joined, travelling by van and passing a “enormous dome, (Entertainment Centre) and saying I wish we could play there, to which Ian replied, “I have, six time”.”
Jeffrey Cain on keyboards, guitar, bass and guitarist Ash Naylor (yes, he of Even fame) makes up the rest of the band, although they bought along percussionist Nicholas Meredith to add to the sound.
Starting in “acoustic mode”, The men on sage, all in various degrees of black, bought out Comedown from the 1996 album Magician Among the Spirits, and showing they were not going to shy away from “the hits”, Metropolis came along early much to the crowd’s delight.
They were also not going to shy away from new songs either. With a new album due out early next year we were treated to No Other You, a song steeped in the classic Church sound. Reptile bought another big response from the audience and another new song Selavie was well received. “it’s French” Steve Kilby said, “shows what a classy band we are”.
There was almost a little resentment from Steve about playing The Unguarded Moment. “I’m going to get another bass player and singer just to play that song on stage” said Steve after a story how they didn’t play it at Warrnambool one evening and the venue manager got beaten up.
Is it just me, or is Steve Kilby looking more and more like Bono these days, especially when the lights were strobing? Just an observation.
Another new song called Antarctica, “the national anthem of Antarctica in 2054” we were told. The song was probably the strongest of the new material (but they were all great anyway).

Back into acoustic mode with Ian and Ash donning acoustic guitars, we were treated to Fly, from the wonderful and under rated Séance album and Old Coast Road and Laurel Canyon from 2014’s Further/Deeper album. These two songs were the only ones from the 21st century (other than the new songs). “We have 3 x 12 string guitars on stage, 36 strings and 2 drummers. Quantity is quality” Steve told us and yes, it was true.
As a treat, as Ian Haugg has been with The Church for 10 years, the band played an acoustic version of Powderfinger’s Waiting for the Sun. While a good version, Bernard Fanning need not worry about the vocal position in Powderfinger if the band should reunite.
Back to electric guitars and the beautiful dreamscape intro to Is This Where You Live from their debut album. During the intro, Steve told a member of the audience “why don’t you shut up.” And rightly so. The song weaved for about 5 minutes before jolting into a full electric sound. Some wonderful guitar playing from the Ian/Ash duo set the stage awash with sound.
The new single The Hypnogogue followed, a song that fits nicely into their live repertoire. “Here’s a song we haven’t played in a long long while” said Steve, introducing Shadow Cabinet, a classic piece of Church music from the album Persi. “Well not since the other night”.
Just how many movies has the song Under the Milky Way featured in. Steve tried to list them but there were too many. Just a classic Australian song and the audience rightly loved it. Way back to 1982 for An Interlude, once again the guitarists coming to the fore, fast and furious. Tantalised rounded out a perfect evening.
However, as the commercial says, “but wait there’s more”, The Church left the best to last. The Grind was the highlight of the night. The guitars ground out a perfect storm, the drums pounding the perfect rhythm and the audience standing in awe. At one time both Ian and Ash were on their knees, strumming their guitars, pushing buttons and turning knobs on their pedal boards. “New lad” Ash Naylor may have found the perfect vehicle to push him even further to show the world how good he actually is on guitar. Those of us in the know already appreciate he is world class. Tonight, he proved it.
You Took and Almost with You showed the band were not afraid to visit their past, both coming from The Blurred Crusade album, closed out the evening.
If you weren’t there you may have missed the gig of the year in Adelaide. Yes, it was that good.

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