The EG Awards feat DiedPretty, Little Red @ ThePrince, Melbourne (4/12/2008)

Mon 8th Dec, 2008 in Gig Reviews

On an evening that celebrated music in the capitol of the Australian music scene, it was only right that Melbourne’s new favourites Little Red should open the celebrations. After opening with several of the retro rock faves from their debut album, Tom Hartney moved behind the keys to launch into new material. Keeping the harmonies rolling, but widening their inspirations from Beach Boys, doo-wop and early rock their newer tunes nod towards The Band and even the Eagles, developing the Little Red sound beyond the retro-rocker tag. A venture helped by the abandoning their matching suits. Joined by the Horns of Contempt they closed out with Witchdoctor and the perennial Little Red closer Coca-Cola to appreciative applause from an audience mostly old enough to have been their parents.

Julia Zemiro attempted to calm the mob, with series of sharply directed quips and occasional lapses into French, to present the awards – but it was a difficult task to get through the evening’s formalities. While there’s much joy to be had in listening to Australia’s best music quiz host speaking French, it’s very odd to watch a member of the Seekers give her a flirtatious back massage on stage – as Keith Potger did while plugging the Support Act charity, which offers support for members of the music business in need or suffering hardship.

Anyway, to the awards….

From the 31,500 votes cast, the winners reflected the exceedingly good taste of Melbourne’s punters. Little Red picked up the first prize of the night – the award for best new artist, with 8Dom Byrne* claiming that as a kid he’d always dreamed of making the pages of the EG. Vivian Lees picked up the award for best tour on behalf of Rage Against the Machine with a speech that was delivered as a polar opposite to RATMs fiercely passionate performance at this year’s BDO tour.

Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu received the honour in the best male artist category and despite running late from a gig across town Sophie Koh picked up the award for best female artist. Jethro Lazenby, Nick Cave’s son, accepted the two awards on behalf of the Bad Seeds – best band and best album. Clearly a little baffled by the occasion, and perhaps the booze, he offered to sign the awards – œfor $50 bucks’ and copped a little light hearted flack from Zemiro for his catwalk foppishness. Though as more than one punter commented – œimagine being Nick Cave’s son…’.

The Presets’ Julian Hamilton also received a few heckles as he picked up the award for best song, My People, with the majority of the audience there for Died Pretty and not appreciating the Presets electro-styling’s. Or maybe just because the Presets are a Sydney act – this was the EG Awards after all and a night when the distinctly Melbourne lyrics of the Sky Hooks Living in the 70s record won the distinction of being the EG readers favourite Australian album of all time.

Dave Faulkner inducted Died Pretty into the Steve Waldon Hall of Fame, named for the former EG editor who died in a motorcycle accident earlier this year. Faulkner’s tribute opened with the comment that – œIf you’ve seen Died Pretty once, you’ve probably seen them a dozen times’ as their – œbrooding and beautiful’ live shows are such intense and incredible events. The band have reformed to perform their Doughboy Hollow album in it’s entirety for the Don’t Look Back section of the All Tomorrow’s Parties festival and, having played the very first Big Day Out tour in 1992, return to the festival next year. Their performance was, as Faulkner had promised, a thrilling hour of malevolent brilliance with Ron Peno in fine form leaping about the stage in a battered straw hat like some kind of modern shaman/crazed street corner poet.

Following the Died Pretty set the crowd thinned a little, though there was still plenty to come with the EG All Stars and a revolving cast of some of Australia’s finest. After Lilith Lane took a turn covering the Drones Shark Fin Blues, Katy Steele held the stage to play her Little Birdy track Relapse before covering Paul Kelly, with the man himself joining her on harmonica. Mark Seymour brought the horns back to stage for a belting version of the Hunters and Collectors Say Goodbye – with plenty of assistance from the crowd. Carrying an injury, Ash Grunwald was forced to sit but still managed a great cover of Chain’s Black and Blue with the band’s Phil Manning guiding the way.

Even jumped up to sing Stop and Go Man – a very appropriate choice given the frequent pauses as the All Stars rearranged themselves for each new song. Finally Dave Faulkner ended the night with the Hoodoo Gurus I Want You Back. Sadly there was no all in jam from the amazing array of talent assembled, but the awards were a fitting tribute to Steve Waldon, the EGs place as Melbourne’s music bible and the quality of music our city has to offer. Well done all round!

CHECK OUT THE PIX FROM THE SHOW HERE