Good bands shouldn’t go out like that!

When bands reunite for a comeback tour of sorts there is no doubt the motives should be questioned, especially after such a prolonged absence. The same could be said for Australian icons The Divinyls making what could be considered as one last dash for cash before retiring, especially after Chrissy Amphlett made a public announcement of her battle with Multiple Sclerosis.

In their heyday, The Divinyls would have packed out Thebarton Theatre to the rafters and scalpers would be fleecing would-be punters out the front. No such joy on this occasion, as five or six hundred punters were there to check ‘em out. I have to say it was an odd crowd, complete with good looking chicks, ferals, bogans and the music elite, who made it for a rare night out (and could afford the steep $90 asking price).

One thing’s for sure – The Divinyls have an impressive back catalogue, with some smash singles like the opening number Science Fiction. The band, which looks a little different these days – with Charlie Drayton on drums, Charlie Owen on guitar and one of the originals Mark Entrée on guitar – failed to ignite early, taking the first half of the set to hit their straps. There were points where the band was starting different songs at the same time with mixed results. Amphlett even conceded that she introduced the wrong song, suggesting to the crowd that “we’re only human and we make mistakes.”

The vibe really wasn’t there for me and I honestly thought that The Divinyls were going through the motions, delivering an average performance typified by the lacklustre new single Don’t Wanna Do This. It definitely didn’t make me want to go out and buy a copy – put it that way.

Still, it was good to hear the likes of Pleasure & Pain, Hey Little Boy, Backs To The Wall and rare gems like Asphyxiated trotted out possibly one last time. Amphlett’s constant ramblings were a little on the frustrating side and it is obvious that she doesn’t quite command the same stage presence any more.

It did seem that the crowd were waiting in anticipation to hear the big hit single I Touch Myself but had to wait a little longer as Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart and Boys In Town preceded it. I think the crowd would have been more than happy to leave at that point but got a bonus cover I’ll Make You Happy by The Easybeats thrown in.

What the future holds for The Divinyls is unclear, but at least I’ve had the chance to cross another band off my ‘must see’ list on a night that promised a lot but didn’t meet expectations.