Michael Franti and Spearhead @The Forum Theatre (16/10/08)

Tue 21st Oct, 2008 in Gig Reviews

Michael Franti & Spearhead returned to the southern hemisphere to celebrate the release of their new album, All Rebel Rockers. Franti played two sold out shows at The Forum Theatre in Melbourne amongst his other stops across the country, proving, once again, that this Rebel Rocker is a lover of Australia…and the feelings are mutual.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, Franti’s messages reflect the left-leaning side of the USA. It’s refreshing to hear and see that there is an entire part of the population that still has hope for a nation that is in the middle of a serious economic crisis.

Franti’s blend of hip-hop, spoken word, funk, rock, and reggae has been inspiring not only music fans, but social and political justice activists across the world since the early 90s. This night was no exception.

With his politically-charged, insightful lyrics, Franti kept the crowd at The Forum energised with what I consider to be some of the most upbeat reggae-rock tunes since Bob himself started telling people to “Stand up for your rights!”

The minute that the band hit the stage, the crowd became hooked into the next two hours of feeling…well, just…happy. This seems to be Franti’s main goal – to make people smile; to entertain the masses, while spreading his positive words, shaking his bare feet around the globe, and sending the message that with music comes peace.

Not once did Franti to hesitate to remind this Melbourne crowd of just that. Before breaking into a passionate rendition of Is Love Enough? from the album Yell Fire!, Franti explained that “We should practice our freedom to listen” and then began to sing “We want freedom of speech, but we all talking at the same time” – a true testament to Franti’s dedication to political and social justice.

The next few songs came with the same theme, as Franti retired back to the stool and picked up his acoustic guitar for some mellow solo tunes. This time, Jamaican reggae soul-singer Cherine Anderson joined him on stage to add in some beautifully melodic harmonies. Never Too Late, one of the more mellow tracks from Everybody Deserves Music told us “Don’t fear your worst friends, because a worst friend is just a best friend that’s done you wrong,” as the giant neon boombox in the background lit up the entire stage.

Within an instant, the stool was removed and the beat picked up. The crowd went WILD as the entire band came back on stage and broke into an ultra funky version of Hey World! (Remote Control Version), off this year’s All Rebel Rockers. Franti’s powerful vocals shouted “You have to let go of remote control!” With up-beat, rockin’ guitar riffs, reggae drumming, and Franti jumping around the stage, the band went right into Light Up Ya Lighter, and as the scent of ganja floated around in the room, I think the crowd listened. The fans on the dancefloor of the Forum danced around in bliss during the cover of Damian Marley’s classic Jamaican anthem, Welcome To Jamrock, with Cherine lending her vocal skills to this masterpiece. To keep the energy going, the band flew right into All I Want Is You, a glimpse into Franti’s ability to blend dub-reggae with drum-n-bass.

It was at this point that Franti pulled up a long-haired middle-aged hippie man onto the stage. After busting out a few dancing moves, the man decided to take out his hacky sack and have a little solo hack session! Franti joined the crowd in laughter, and then hopped down into the pit to get right in the action during Everybody Deserves Music and then back on stage again for Hey World, with Cherine joining in again on back up.

Constantly switching between solo acoustic and reggae rock, Franti, Spearhead, and Miss Cherine Anderson put on one heck of a show. The encore was no exception with Say Hey (I Love You) and I Know I’m Not Alone – the title track from Franti’s documentary film about his travels around Iraq, Palestine, and Israel exploring the human cost of war, with Franti doing what he does best – spread peace through music.

As the house lights came on, people rushed toward the stage as the hugging Rebel Rocker jumped into the crowd to squeeze and thank his fans in true Franti fashion. I didn’t manage to get up close enough for a Franti hug, but it’s okay, because I’ve hugged him before! And hug or no hug, you could still feel the love flowing through the room. It was absolutely impossible to leave the Forum that night without a giant smile on your face thanks to Franti and his positive vibe.

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