Check out all the photos HERE
At this time of year, when the cold weather kicks in; as much as I love going out to a good gig and drinking all night and having a raucous time, sometimes it’s just nice to stay warm and relax at home with a bottle of red and a concert DVD.
Fortunately, Saturday night was almost a perfect mix of the two options. Nothing beats a live gig for entertainment so to see some of Australia’s best talent performing in an intimate acoustic setting on a wintery night was the ideal occasion for me.
I arrived at the venue nice and early and it seemed as though the entire capacity crowd was already inside and ready for the show to start. The Gov was packed to the rafters for this second sold out show. The night kicked off with former Southern Sons vocalist Jack Jones on his acoustic guitar. He opened with a nice mellow version of their old hit Hearts in Danger, which had the crowd singing along in no time. His set was very laid back and a nice introduction to the acts which were to follow. For the second half of this opening set, Tania Doko former Bachelor Girl vocalist, joined Jack to do a few of her old tunes including Permission to Shine, and Buses and Trains as well as a couple of new tunes from her current release To Whom it May Concern.
This was a great opening act for the first of the headliners, *Jon Stevens_. His set was opened with the Noiseworks classic Reach Out. Although this was an acoustic show and Stevens only had an acoustic guitarist and an acoustic bassist to accompany him, the performance was pure arena rock in its passion. The crowd sung their way through a range of Noiseworks hits which all surprisingly adapted very well to acoustic versions, even the hard rocker Hot Chilli Woman. The best part about hearing these songs acoustically is that you really get the chance to hear the vocals. Not one of the singers on the bill could hide behind a wall of distorted guitar and loud drums. It was proof that all four vocalists can really sing incredibly well.
The last performance on the night came from legendary Cold Chisel guitarist Ian Moss. He opened the show with a nice rocking version of the soul classic Heard it Through the Grapevine. While Mossy occasionally picked up his electric guitar, for the majority of the set, he was seated with his acoustic, playing pared down versions of the Cold Chisel classics, as well as his own solo hits Tucker’s Daughter and Telephone Booth.
Some of the highlights from the last set of the night included a very mellow version of the Chisel hit Choir Girl, a great sing-along moment with Saturday Night, and for the end of the set, Jon Stevens came back out to join Mossy on a couple of covers.
By the end of the night, this was one show that left me feeling completely satisfied. From the first strum of Jack Jones’ acoustic to the final cheers for Ian Moss and Jon Stevens, I was engaged by the talent on show. It was such a rare opportunity to get to hear so many classic songs played by their original artists in such an intimate venue. Even though both nights were sold out, it just wouldn’t have been the same vibe if the show had been held in a larger venue. If Mossy and co decide to bring this tour back to Adelaide, I urge anyone who missed out to get their tickets early, you won’t be disappointed.
Check out all the photos HERE
