If Powderfinger were going to get at least one thing right on their Upstairs at the Downstairs national tour then they managed to do so before they even appeared on stage – they chose the right venue. Bernard Fanning’s solo work in 2006 had seen the man perform at the dreaded Festival Hall, and last year the back-together band hit the road with Silverchair to play the biggest venues they could get their mitts on. This time around though, on the tour designed for the fans – with two sets and a selectable set list – Powderfinger opted for a classier locus in the Forum Theatre. And they put on a good show to boot.
Opening for the night was local singer/songwriter Whitley, who performed without his usual ensemble. His voice was incredibly strong and clear alongside the sole accompaniment of his own guitar, which made his greatly mumbled banter between tunes seem more like he didn’t actually want to talk to the crowd. Unfortunately though, the noise of early comers mostly drowned poor Whitley out as he sat as a tiny figure on a giant red curtain background.
Powderfinger emerged with acoustic instrumentation in tow as the curtains were drawn on their backdrop. Notably one of the highlights was the obscure artwork for a backdrop, which consisted of staircases, archways, clocks, cities and outer space, with the UV paint able to play tricks with certain lighting effects. It was certainly a clever creation you wouldn’t usually see at rock concerts.
Despite the set being labelled acoustic, Powderfinger took certain liberties with the whole concept and the set as a whole didn’t really seem very subdued. The obvious choices for this kind of set were chosen, with Waiting For The Sun, My Kind of Scene and The Metre making up the earliest tunes. The six men across the stage could not have looked more comfortable in this environment. Relaxed and seated, they proved they had the best relationship a band could have with each other by interacting, making fun of each other (notable drummer, Jon Cohill) and genuinely looking like they were enjoying themselves.
Country rock was proven as the band’s strong suit further more as their hits were delivered acoustically. Lost And Running was the first in the set to really get a proper sing along, before the jazzed up and blatantly amped-up Bless My Soul put to rest anything “stripped back” about this set. Fanning left the stage to Darren Middleton soon after to sing JC, the track Middleton claimed to be the best of the band’s Double Allergic album. The change of pace was more than welcome and Middleton’s voice sounded easily as strong as Fanning’s, despite him usually not singing the track. These Days capped off the hour with another sing along that would not be the last, as Powderfinger disappeared for a short interval.
The painting had disappeared and the backdrop had become a white wall with lights by the time Powderfinger returned. Fans had apparently chosen the set list for this show, which kick started with some older numbers, including the heavy Living Type and Who Really Cares. It really took the heavier numbers to put the first set into perspective and show that this band really can transform between two genres and get away with it. Middleton and Ian Haug on guitars and John Collins on bass were a trio of excitement as they moved about stage, demonstrating their superior control over their instruments under spotlights.
The much shorter set – half the length of the first in fact – was really a lead up to three particular songs, that were played in succession to finish. The first, Since You’ve Been Gone had the entire Forum crowd burst into chorus, to which Fanning simply gave up and turned the microphone around. My Happiness followed with a similar protocol, only Fanning had expected it a little more this time. Finally Passenger finished up, which included a fugal horn player that was given the biggest applause of the night following Fanning’s request of the crowd to do so.
Wishing On The Same Moon was a welcome addition to the encore, as were Fanning’s muttered and forgotten lyrics to a verse from a Parables For Wooden Ears track. The finale, (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind, only went to prove yet again that encores are always fake to a degree, because of course the fans will call you back if you haven’t played their favourite track. Still, Powderfinger know how to pound through the number, and the extended ending was certainly a treat.
