Powderfinger @ SydneyEntertainment Centre(18/09/2010)

Thu 23rd Sep, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Whilst most people in Australia like to celebrate their 21st birthday as a transition to adulthood, Powderfinger have decided to celebrate with their farewell Sunsets Tour. A stellar career spanning seven albums in a career that peaked around the turn of the century with fourth album Odyssey Number Five, which not only helped them clean up with six ARIA awards in 2001, but also managed #1 in Triple J’s hottest 100 of 1999 as well as another number 1 plus a third place in 2000.

Tonights leg of the tour takes place at Sydney Entertainment Centre. The first of two nights at this venue which are being used to film their farewell live DVD. To kick off the night, old touring partner Big Heavy Stuff enveloped the arena with their well aged Indie Rock. It never tasted so good with the immensity and clarity of the sound system at their disposal. A real pleasure hearing some old favourites like Laughing Boy and Hibernate. If you ever liked these guys get out and see them.

Jet strutted out onto stage next. Tight jeans a plenty. We all knew we were in for some straight edged Aussie rock here and within minutes you can tell Jet do not disappoint, though maybe some over dramatic rock moves from Mark Wilson on bass. Listening to Jet on the old wireless you don’t realise how important Chris Cester is on drums. Sure his brother Nic Cester is front and center on lead vocal/rhythm guitar though this tight precise live sound all flows from Chris’s energy and timing on the pig skin.

A set including She’s a Genius and Look What You’ve Done early presented the depth of material Jet have acquired over the years, with a decent sounding new song which didn’t fail to move the crowd. Are You Gonna Be my Girl mid-set had the limbs flailing in the mosh and a sign this band really is trying to forge ahead. Black Hearts (On Fire), Cold Hard Bitch and finally Rip it Up closing a tight professional set and a worthy support.

A mood of expectation swoops over the crowd as the lights dim and the shadows of Powderfinger drift confidently to their places amongst rising cheers. It has been a decade since I have watched Powderfinger live. Always being a fan of their older material I was always in for a generous helping of back catalogue this evening which had piqued my interest somewhat.

The opening songs of Love Your Way, Lost and Running, Burn Your Name and Sunsets left me with a sense that they were getting these out of the way to unleash with the gold from their past. We all hung in there a little longer until Already Gone greeted us and we gained the first major rise from the crowd. A well expected singalong sparking a rapturous wave of applause which rushed around the Entertainment Center flooding it with life.

This was followed next by The Metre and a sudden interlude. An old space film is projected behind the stage, images of the dog being sent into space with the following apt words plastered across the background “The end of an era” and “An empire crumbles”. A moments silence was the followed by ten thousand fingers pointing to the other end of the floor.

Bang! The band rip into Like a Dog and Stumblin’. Not only providing those at the far end of the venue with a closer look, but also bringing themselves closer to the people for a short but intense two song rampage on this small makeshift stage before leaving Jon Coghill to mash his drums with ever increasing intensity.

Moving back to the main stage, the mood mellows. A solo Nobody Sees then a trip back to (Return of) The Electric Horseman left the crowd expecting a re-emergence of power and the band did not disappoint. Calling out to the crowd “We are making a DVD so please all stand” And the final phase of the night came upon us. My Happiness and Passenger flowed forth, the singlalong reminding you of a Crowded House gig.

Bernard Fanning soon after dedicates a song to those that saw them early on, and played the second song of the night from Double Allergic. Pick You Up. Simple Amazing. (Baby I’ve Got You) On My Mind then closed the set but you just knew there had to be more right? Neither These Days nor My Kind of Scene had been played. The crowd cheered and there it was, These Days to add the exclamation mark on a well rehearsed set enjoyed by both band and crowd.

There was not one ungrateful soul leaving the venue, and although its always impressive to leave a near two hour gig of hits and think “gee they could have closed with this” It’s always a slight dampener. So the discussion flowed as to why they did not play anything earlier than Double Allergic, surely a true dedication to original fans would have been Tail or Swollen Tongue. Alas, we didn’t really complain as we wandered away singing.. “But its nooooot my kind of scene oh yeaahhh”.

Check out the photos from the gig