On Friday night I saw the Hoodoo Gurus at Penrith RSL. It was a great night and a lot of fun (although I thought the support act sucked).

The set covered almost all the classics as well as some fan favourites:

1. “Whoopee Cushion”
2. “A Place in the Sun”
3. “In the Wild”
4. “Waking Up Tired”
5. “Death Defying” (may have been played later—see below)
6. “You Open My Eyes”
7. “Tojo”
8. “Quicksand”
9. “California”
10. “Axegrinder”
11. “Leilani”
12. “I See You”
13. “Bittersweet”
14. “Come Anytime”
15. “Miss Freelove ‘69″
16. “1000 Miles Away”
17. “What’s My Scene?”
18. “The Right Time”
19. “Kamikaze Pilot”

Encore:

• “My Girl”
• “Like Wow - Wipeout”

Dave Faulkner and Brad Shepherd had a good banter going, including one moment where Dave accidentally introduced “Death Defying” despite it not being on the setlist, leading to a bonus song we wouldn’t have gotten otherwise!

I was right in front of the stage, and I swear, at one point Dave and Brad were within three feet of me. No kidding.

After the show, I had a brief chat with Rick Grossman (bass, also of Divinyls, Matt Finish and Ghostwriters fame)—great guy who is very down-to-earth despite having such an amazing career.

You can see select photos from the event in my Flickr set, but here’s four to give you an idea:

Last night I saw DEVO, performing for the first time in Sydney in over 25 years.

Yes, DEVO, that gang of subversive geeks willing to mock everything sacred about American (and, by extension, Western) culture—those Spuds who preach that de-evolution is REAL!

Now, it should be noted that Monica and I always stumble into adventures when we’re out together. Sometimes it involves meeting Marcia Hines at the Police concert; other times, it involves the wheelchair dying on Enmore Road. If nothing else, it’s always an… interesting experience, and this night was no exception.

Firstly, at Mon’s suggestion, we didn’t park where I had originally intended. This (as you’ll see later) was a bit of luck.

As soon as we arrived, we had dinner at Cine, an Italian cafe in the Entertainment Quarter (formerly the Fox Studios Backlot)—pleasant enough, though nothing fantastic. The staff were very nice, however.

When we arrived at the Hordern Pavilion for the show, I made a beeline for the merch stand. I picked up a T-shirt, a poster, and (yes!) an Energy Dome (which was another bit of luck, but… oh, I’ll tell you later).

Anyway, the show…

eddy current suppression ring were the first act, a kind of geeky punk/garage rock band from Melbourne. Very good and they fit in well.

After that, we went in search of COFFEE! Yes, even Spuds need caffeination now and then. Unfortunately, we found none, but some guy offered to buy my Energy Dome from Monica, since they were now apparently sold out!

Next up was Regurgitator with a very fun set. Not much more to say about that, really, but they seemed to be in awe of the fact that they were supporting “the best fucking band in the world!” Mon was heaving during “I Will Lick Your Arsehole”, however—I have no idea why.

Finally, it was time for some De-Evolution! After the intro video, they got straight into a great set that hit all the highlights, including Booji Boy performing “Beautiful World”!!!

The setlist, by memory:

1. “That’s Good”
2. “Going Under”
3. “Peek-a-Boo!”
4. “Girl U Want”
5. “Whip It”
6. “Secret Agent Man”
7. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
8. “Uncontrollable Urge”
9. “Mongoloid”
10. “Blockhead”
11. “Jocko Homo”
12. “Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA”
13. “Gates of Steel”
14. “Devo Corporate Anthem” (on video)
15. “Freedom of Choice”
16. “Gut Feeling”
17. “Beautiful World” (performed by Booji Boy)

I really was not expecting a Booji Boy appearance last night—it was bloody amazing.

The boys only played for about 75 minutes with no encore, but that has to be the best show I’ve seen so far. Seriously. I’ve been a Devo fan for many years, but this has pushed me into the “hardcore” territory.

(The Toto show is probably on par, actually, but Devo are still fresh in my mind…)

After the show, we got coffee (finally!) at Gloria Jeans. (It should be noted that Monica was basically holding me up with this coffeehouse expedition, possibly due to watching one too many episodes of Friends, though I did gladly go along with it because my Spud-sense told me there was good reason to….)

It wasn’t until about 50 minutes after the show that we were actually making our way back to the van—the spot Mon had chosen—when…

There they were! Devo were just leaving the Hordern. The two Bob’s were signing some fans’ stuff, so, of course, I had to stop and join in.

I had a chat with Bob 1 and got him to sign my poster and Energy Dome (through the fence, no less). Then I met Mark Mothersbaugh and he signed my Energy Dome, too! Yes, the Energy Dome that was already sought after before being signed by the Mothersbaugh boys.

So there you have it: Monica’s coffee-house dithering and parking eccentricities got me to meet Devo. How often can you say that???

Photos

Devo on stage

Booji Boy

Bob 1

Mark Mothersbaugh

UPDATE! Bonus (Bad) Bootleg Video (but not by me)

Secret Agent Man

Uncontrollable Urge

Mongoloid

Jocko Homo

UPDATE 2! John Larkin has a great overview of the same show here.

Today I bought tickets to see Def Leppard and Cheap Trick live in Sydney in November. How great is that? (It better be great—it’s costing me over $300…)

I’m really excited about this gig. Of course, it might end up being a huge disappointment, but even if Cheap Trick turn out to be the best thing about the night, I’ll still walk out of there with a smile a mile wide…

On Saturday, the 26th of April, I journeyed down to the Enmore Theatre in Sydney once more, this time to see one of my favourite bands, Porcupine Tree, on the only Sydney date of their long-overdue first Australian tour.

Porcupine Tree started as a one-man side-project for no-man’s Steven Wilson, but after several albums in the early ’90s, the project eventually evolved into a genuine band that hearkened back to ’70s progressive space rock without directly imitating it.

It was 2002’s In Absentia, however, that marked the most obvious change in the band, with drummer Chris Maitland being replaced by the extraordinary Gavin Harrison instead. This was a chance for Wilson to fully integrate the sonic palette of progressive metal to the mix, the result being a curious mix of the layered melodicism of Brian Wilson, the psychedelic textures of Pink Floyd and the bursts of thrashing guitars of Opeth. The best comparison would be to King Crimson, but even that misses the mark somewhat.

In any case, these guys are legends among those of us in the know, and as soon as they announced their Australian tour, I made sure that I would not miss out on this extraordinary event.

The tickets I’d bought gave a showtime of 7:45 pm, so I arrived at the theatre by 7:10, which, while probably a good idea, meant half-an-hour of waiting without anything to do. The lines (there were two–one for each side of the doors) were quite massive, which was pleasantly surprising, given how unknown the band is outside certain circles. At 7:45, however, there was a cheer as we all began to pour in.

About half-an-hour after that, support act Sleep Parade did a 45-minute set, and they managed to keep a rather restless crowd entertained. This is a Melbourne-based prog-rock three-piece, and their sound actually reminded me somewhat of latter-day Marillion. I really respect the fact that there are Aussie bands out there doing more than just the usual rubbish, and it’s great to see Wilson & co. supporting local acts, too.

When 9 pm rocked around, Sleep Parade’s set was over and it seemed as if Porcupine Tree would appear very soon. They didn’t come on until about 9:30, however, and by that time everyone was DESPERATE. Prior to that, the lights would move occasionally, at which point some hopeful Aussie fan would cheer… only to then realise that they were jumping the gun.

Then, finally, the lights dimmed, the band entered, and the footage for “Fear of a Blank Planet” began playing behind them…

Setlist: (all quotes paraphrased)

• “Fear of a Blank Planet” (from Fear of a Blank Planet, 2007)
• “What Happens Now?” (from the Nil Recurring EP, 2007)
• “The Sound of Muzak” (from In Absentia, 2002)

Wilson: “Well, this is the first Australian tour. It’s been about 15 years coming and nine studio albums, so apologies for that. As I was saying in Melbourne last night, we just didn’t think we had a following in Australia, but I guess we do. To make up for it, we’re going to play as much for you tonight as we can. We can’t play everyone’s favourite, of course, but we’ll do our best. [At this point someone shouted something out.] Here’s a tip: it doesn’t matter what song you sing out–we have this thing called a setlist…”

• “Lazarus” (from Deadwing, 2005)

Wilson: “Porcupine Tree have quite a few more ‘epic’ tracks that we’ve done–we’re not exactly a band known for its brevity. [At this point, given his previous remarks, I was praying for 1995's opus "The Sky Moves Sideways", but alas...] Here’s the longest track off the last album. It’s called ‘Anesthetize’.”

• “Anesthetize” (from Fear of a Blank Planet)
• “Open Car” (from Deadwing)
• “Dark Matter” (from Signify, 1996) — this was a real highlight, as it was the earliest track played and is one of the best songs from their ’90s catalogue
• “Hatesong” (from Lightbulb Sun, 2000) — featuring a workout from Harrison that well-deserved the shout-out by Wilson immediately afterwards
• “A Smart Kid” (from Stupid Dream, 1999) — concluding a trilogy of tracks from their pre-Harrison days, this was yet another highlight

Wilson: “How about some more metal?”

• “Blackest Eyes” (from In Absentia)

Wilson: “Most Australians probably know us from our last album, Fear of a Blank Planet [at this point a guy near me shouted out "Not true!!!"--I'd like to agree, but Wilson's probably right] so we’ll do another track from it. It’s called ‘Way Out of Here’.”

• “Way Out of Here” (from Fear of a Blank Planet) — much better live than on record, and the accompanying footage is quite haunting; interestingly, John Wesley sang the chorus
• “Sleep Together” (from Fear of a Blank Planet)

Encore:

• “Mother and Child Divided” (from the Deadwing sessions)

Wilson: “We didn’t play that in Melbourne last night, but we figured Sydney was more of a METAL crowd. Anyway, this next song is quite popular in our shows in Europe and America… [some of us (including me) started shouting 'Trains!!!'] It’s called ‘Trains’.”

• “Trains” (from In Absentia)
• “Halo” (from Deadwing)

All told, the set went for about two hours.

Overall, it was a great night with a great crowd. There were the obvious young metalheads, but there were also the older prog rock fans who just wanted to see the saviours of modern rock in action. (I obviously identify more with the latter group.) I was hoping to hear “Even Less”, “Drown With Me” and/or “Cheating the Polygraph” (as I didn’t really expect anything from the solo days), but… maybe next time.

Still, how often do you get to see rock’s best kept secret in the flesh?

Now, how about Pink Floyd reform with Roger Waters, record a collaborative effort and then do a world tour?

Listening to the last Toto album, Falling in Between, reveals just what an amazing team of musicians these guys are. This stuff captures how dynamic and energetic these guys are live much better than some of their other studio recordings, Toto IV included. It’s too bad they’re packing up after this.

Anyway, here’s a dodgy YouTube bootleg of Luke’s powerhouse performance of “Gypsy Train” from the gig I attended earlier this month:

Tonight I saw Toto live, and it was the best show I’ve ever seen. Roger Waters was stirring and The Police were thrilling, but Toto were just out of this world. Great songcraft, amazing instrumental passages and the best fucking guitar solo I’ve ever seen or heard, live or not. It’d make a fan out of anyone.

Firstly, the restaurant, African Feeling, was fantastic — great food and friendly, accommodating service — but I’ll detail that another time.

Instead, let me talk about the show. Bobby Kimball’s voice is as strong as ever, Simon Phillips is an amazing drummer whose technique and abilities are extraordinary (though of course he’ll never truly replace Jeff Porcaro) and Greg Phillinganes is so exciting to watch, particularly because I still consider myself a pianist deep down.

But holy shit, Steve Lukather is just a dead-set fucking legend. His guitar chops are so far beyond the realm of mere mortals that it’s hard to comprehend what you’re actually witnessing. I mean, I can’t even begin to express it all in words.

They did, of course, play “Rosanna”, and the encore had to be “Africa”, but the show stopper (in terms of big hits) was “Hold the Line”. For a band that most people think of as being merely soft rock, these guys rocked harder than anyone would ever dream.

And then I met them after the show.

They were all wonderfully nice, spending good quality time with my friends and I, but Steve (”Luke”) in particular hung around for some real bonding. Yes, folks, I had some swigs from Steve’s beer. They’re all great guys.

If that’s not enough, I bumped into Tim Farriss from INXS as well.

Oh, and they gave me a guitar pick!!!

Photographic evidence coming soon…

I went to the annual Jazz in the Gardens event at the Norman Lindsay Gallery on Saturday night. It was basically a family picnic sort of event with Galapagos Duck playing in the background.

It’s a really lovely area — the gardens themselves are a nice blend of Australian bush and a more cultivated British look — and the afternoon atmosphere was very family-friendly, with children playing and games of cricket going on in the distance. I had a great time with some friends as well.

After nightfall, I went around to watch the band play their final set. We were, of course, very conscious of not blocking anyone’s view, which is ironic, considering the grey-haired set didn’t mind standing directly in front of us once the band was playing again. It was at this point that I said to my companion, “Screw this!” and pushed in front of the badly-dancing retirees. I’m not missing a jazz instrumental rendition of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” whether you’re 30-odd years my senior or not!

Meeting Marcia Hines:

Sting:

Zoomed-in:

Andy:

The Crowd:

The End:

Here are the songs that The Police have played on the tour that were not featured last night:

• “Spirits in the Material World”
• “Truth Hits Everybody”
• “The Bed’s Too Big Without You”
• “Murder By Numbers”
• “Dead End Job” (segued from “Next to You”)

“Spirits in the Material World” would have been nice to hear, but not at the expense of, say, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me”. The rest I could pretty much take or leave, but the songs played were so perfectly executed (in an inventive way) that, again, given time constraints, I’d not trade them for other tracks.

Anyway, a DVD will hopefully surface once the tour concludes. I’d give anything for one right now, but… patience is required.

I’ll probably write a more sober reflection on the night tomorrow.

(Literalists take note: I wasn’t drunk.)

Bloody hell, that was amazing.

They opened with “Message in a Bottle”, ended with “Roxanne”, then completed the encores with the classic finale, “Next to You”. At least 15 other tracks were included beyond that.

The highlights:

• Stewart Copeland’s moment to shine was his percussion-work on “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. Bloody awesome — the guy’s a legend and one of the best rock drummers/percussionists around
• “Hole in My Life” rocked out
• Andy Summers cranked out some blistering solos in the most unlikely of places
• Sting really knows how to work a crowd

What was just the best thing ever was the fact that almost every song had a fresh arrangement that allowed Summers a lot more breathing room than the originals. Copeland’s creativity just consistently blows me away. And Sting had a beard that he grew in Byron Bay.

The whole thing just felt looser and more improvised, even though it was all obviously well-rehearsed. This is exactly what I wanted — a dream come true — these three musicians coming together after 20 years of separate musical development to create something familiar yet still fresh and new. Here’s hoping they record again together…

The setlist, as I recall (some ordering may be messed up):

• “Message in a Bottle”
• “Synchronicity II”
• “Walking on the Moon”
• “Voices Inside My Head/When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around” — the latter in a similar arrangement to the one on Sting’s Bring on the Night album, but it sounded so much better with Andy and Stewart back on board
  
• “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” — the arrangement was somewhere between the original and the ‘86 re-recording
• “Driven to Tears”
• “Hole in My Life”
• “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”
• “Wrapped Around Your Finger”
• “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”
• “Invisible Sun”
• “Walking in Your Footsteps”
• “Can’t Stand Losing You/Regatta De Blanc”
• “Roxanne” (including glorious red lighting over the crowd)
• Encore I: “King of Pain”, “So Lonely” (with lyrics “Welcome to the Andy Summers/Stewart Copeland show!”), “Every Breath You Take”
• Encore II: “Next to You”

It was essentially their Latin America setlist. At the moment I’m drawing a blank as to whether or not “Truth Hits Everybody” was included or not — I suspect not.

(UPDATE: The setlist above is correct, including the omission of “Truth Hits Everybody”. I have no real issue with this, despite losing one of my favourite songs, because Brisbane also lost out on “Walking in Your Footsteps”, which was another highlight of the Sydney set.)

I missed the support act Fiction Plane — they sounded decent from outside, but no great loss — but I was treated to Fergie singing “My Humps”. Hey, it’s an award-winning song!

My confession: Fergie’s stuff wasn’t that bad when it was UP LOUD. It was her rock medley (featuring covers of McCartney, Led Zep and the Stones, believe it or not) that was the most surreal part of the night, however.

Oh, and I met Marcia Hines while I was there. Photographic evidence coming soon.