Aimee Mann, Ben Lee @ ThePalais Theatre, Melbourne(05/09/09)

Mon 7th Sep, 2009 in Gig Reviews

There was one question more than any other from friends and family alike that I had to field prior to my evening at the Palais: who is Aimee Mann? Despite enjoying brief success with 80s new wave outfit Til Tuesday and releasing six critically-acclaimed solo albums, the academy-award-nominated, Grammy-award-winning songstress generally flies under the radar when it comes to Australian audiences. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that almost twenty-five years into her career, Mann still hadn’t landed on Australian shores. This past week, however, broke the drought, much to the delight of followers scattered across Melbourne and beyond.

You would have been forgiven in questioning the decision to have Australia’s trusty pop-maestro Ben Lee in support of an unquestionably darker, moodier headline act, considered as ‘adult-alternative’. It proved a success, however, as Lee, with only an iPod and an acoustic guitar, quickly charmed and surprised the audience with an array of obscurities, including often-amusing material from his side-project Noise Addict. Of course, the favorites made an appearance too, including Gamble Everything For Love and the annoying memorable Catch My Disease. Lee really is in his element on stage, unafraid to maintain a dialogue with punters throughout his entire time before them. Even if the music’s not quite your thing, there is a certain intrigue and warmth his character exudes.

At the tail end of the solo affair, Lee summoned our collective voices for a little call-and-response (the second of the set) with Surrender. I was amazed to find that everyone was willing and, soon enough, in unison. When a whole song is based on call-and-response, you can’t help but feel its a little self-indulgent on the part of the artist. Honestly, Surrender is fit for kids television. I only wished he spent more time revisiting the classics. Whatever incarnation of Ben Lee you happen to enjoy, though, there’s no denying he’s a talented singer-songwriter, and holds audiences in the palm of his hand.

Aimee Mann took to the stage soon after, and the theatre – although just short of sold out – filled with the collective sounds of applause and adoration. An extended introduction seemed fitting, given the momentous occasion, as Mann explained her fear of flying always made dates, let alone an Australiasian tour, problematic. Fans weren’t made to wait too much longer, however, as the three-piece band opened with The Moth, followed by an obscure Lost In Space b-side, Nightmare Girl.

Only a few songs in, and it had become apparent that the evening was to consist of an intriguing game of musical chairs, in which Mann and her musicians would interchange roles, swapping between a multitude of keyboards, guitars and sound desks. Not only were there diverse talents showcased effectively, but this also ensured that, at every turn, the trio’s sound was augmented and tweaked ever-so-slightly, provoking interest and surprise throughout.

Wise Up and Save Me from the film Magnolia were popular with the Palais audience, and This Is How It Goes provided a memorable highlight: a chorus of recorders in perfect harmony to set the scene for a delightfully melancholy journey. Mann seemed keen to satisfy everyone, however impossible, sourcing songs from almost all of her records – exactly what every fan, at the end of the day, is after. The band were near-faultless in their execution of song after song (even in a brief collaboration with the aforementioned Lee), and succeeded in painting the gloomy introspective mood for which Mann is best known. She cast our minds back to 1985 with a rendition of Til Tuesday’s Voices Carry , and soon enough, it was time for Mann to go – but not without a three-song-encore, including Humpty Dumpty, Red Vines and Deathly. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the night, Mann had earnt herself not one, but two standing ovations from a rapturous Palais Theatre.

In all likelihood, there would have been many in attendance who had waited years and years to see Aimee Mann in the flesh. This evening, their patience was rewarded thoroughly, with an cavalcade of Mann’s songs, her trademark style performed to perfection. I suspect word will travel – if not through those who stood and applauded, then perhaps by way of reviews such as these – and hopefully this will be enough to see Mann back here in the near future.

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE