Australian Rock Symphony -Chrissy Amphlett, Diesel &Baby Animals @ QPAC, Brisbane(23/01/10)

Thu 28th Jan, 2010 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT THE PICS FROM THIS PREMIER OZ ROCK EVENT RIGHT HERE ON FL.

People from all generations filled the stalls and balconies in the concert hall of the Queensland Performance Arts Centre (QPAC). As the symphony warmed up the hubbub of the crowd slowly quietened; everyone hush in anticipation for a night of Aussie rock ‘n’ roll.

Mark Lizotte aka Diesel was first on stage, opening with 1992 hit Man Alive. Wearing a classy grey three piece suit, his thick locks of yore replaced with the now signature shaved head he commented on being surrounded by beautiful sounding instruments; the Queensland Symphony Orchestra the backing band for all three acts on the bill. A crowd favourite and audience sing along was next with another 1992 hit Tip of My Tongue. Diesel continued the set with other hits including the Never Miss Your Water and finally closing the set with his breakthrough track Cry in Shame.

Reforming last year for a string of dates and back in Brisbane in style, Baby Animals’ Suze De Marchi looked stunning in a black dress suit and a dark short bob hairstyle. De Marchi’s voice echoed throughout the concert hall as they opened with the 1991 hit Rush You, followed by One Word which was a #15 hit on the Australian music scene in 1992 and Painless. The closing song Early Warming had crowd singing every word without missing a beat. Before leaving the stage De Marchi took the time to give fans autographs and thank everyone for coming along to enjoy a night of Australian music.

Upon hearing the very civilised echo of the audience recall tone, the crowd hurried back in from interval and started chanting “Chris-sy, Chris-sy, Chris-sy”: it was very clear who everyone was there to see and hear. Looking gorgeous as ever and every bit the rocker she is, Chrissy Amphlett walked out onto the stage with the aid of a cane. Since announcing that she has multiple sclerosis In 2007, Amphlette hasn’t let that get to her; undertaking concerts since and drawing critical and popular acclaim for her portrayal of Judy Garland in Boy From Oz. Opening her set with Pleasure and Pain, people in the crowd screaming out “I love you” on multiple occasions brought a smile to once notoriously ill-tempered songstress’ face. Diesel joined the stage to accompany Amphlette in the 1982 hit All the Boys in Town. With a pink drum kit with the words Love, Passion and Rock n Roll across it the song that sat at #1 for weeks in 1991, I Touch Myself rocked hard, with the audience enjoying every single word. Finally to close off a great night of entertainment Diesel and De Marchi joined the stage with Amphlett to give the Divinyls treatment to The Easybeats I’ll Make You Happy. And for a bunch of Australian rock fans, that’s exactly what they did.