Seven Songs to Leave Behind @Sidney Myer Music Bowl,Melbourne (23/10/2010)

Mon 25th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Melbourne Festival has done plenty to impress in the past, and this year’s event – held over the last couple of weeks – has been no exception. To close what has been another successful year, though, Melbourne Festival truly outdid itself in hosting Seven Songs to Leave Behind – a musical collaboration of local and international artists that’s never been heard before.

The theme for the event was right there in its title – “Which seven songs would you leave behind?” With reflections on spirituality and mortality, each artist selected songs from the Festival’s criteria – the first song they wrote, one that switched them on to music, one they covet, one to share, two of their own, and one from the songbook of legendary Leonard Cohen.

With Orchestra Victoria providing one hell of an ensemble, the concert that resulted was an incredible alliance of music; an evening that will be cemented in the minds of attendees for a very long time to come indeed.

An event like this – which went for over three and a half hours – is the true definition of a spectacle. Even the Myer Music Bowl itself is damn impressive when full, a wall of people up the hill chilling out on deck chairs and rugs. The concert wasn’t just packed with people though, it was packed with high points – from its beginning of Gurrumul Yunupingu and Orchestra Victoria performing Wipeout all the way through to its final moment of John Cale and a full cast performing Hallelujah.

And then there was the best of everything in between…

The first artist to perform a “mini set” of sorts was Meshell Ndegeocello, who from the very moment she set out captivated the full audience. Her own songs within her selection were a terrific pair; Crying in Your Beer being a gentle performance of her, a guitarist and violinist and The Sloganeer providing a bass solo that proved why she’s so highly regarded on the instrument. Her finest moment was in the Leonard Cohen category, though, with a very subtle orchestral arrangement allowing everyone to hear how beautifully her voice could perform Chelsea Hotel #2.

That category was certainly going to prove a standout, with The Black Arm Band performing If It Be Your Will with some grandeur – Dan Sultan walking to a platform between the seats and general admission to really perform the track. He has little trouble making things his own, especially when he adds his moves. A song to covet for the band was Paul Simon’s Boy in the Bubble, which rivalled their Cohen performance by creating an arguably more joyous atmosphere – it’s just one of those songs that’ll do that.

Bang in the middle of the concert, Rickie Lee Jones may have done the best job of winning everyone over. She began with her own Company and then Sailor Song, luring the crowd in with a more delicate sound (acoustic guitar her main accompaniment) and using the orchestra a little less than other performers (though the climax to the latter of these held a deal of power). But for Jones’ song to covet, she decided to surprise everyone big time – breaking out none other than Gangsta’s Paradise. This was big for two reasons: the first being that any orchestra performing this is something to marvel over. The second was that Jones absolutely pulled it off, and pulled in the crowd with her.

With the sad news that Archie Roach would not be performing on the night due to illness, it was a surprise when the Festival revealed audio from rehearsals was going to be used alongside Jones’ live performance of Somewhere (There’s a Place For Us), which was to be Uncle Archie’s song to share. The moment was bittersweet indeed, as Jones announced “I’ve waited my whole life to sing that” at its conclusion. One of the night’s most unforgettable moments.

Following the night’s interval, the proceedings moved from the orchestral arrangements to a rock n roll ensemble for Cale’s set. With a staple band and revolving cast of other musicians, Cale performed a small selection of his own songs behind piano, playing heavily on his rock n roll cards that set him apart from the night’s other performers. Through tracks like Dirty Ass Rock N Roll and Pablo Picasso, his voice sounded as good as ever, deep and formidable in its finest moments.

Sinead O’Connor was the final performer to appear with her collection of choices – her song to covet, Shitlist, from the beginning of the night not being so telling of the style to come (perhaps why it was so distantly separated from her “set”). With The Black Arm Band at her side, the female cast of singers was definitely saving some of the finest for last. Announcing that she would be playing a song yet to be released was an interesting note, though Take Off Your Shoes proved to be one of her strongest moments (even with its humorous beginning which saw her stop everyone to tune their voices). Once tuned, the power of O’Connor’s voice was on full display.

The evening concluded with a final rotation of acts performing their song for the end of time – the one to leave behind. Yunupingu’s Banyini was simply stunning, and O’Connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U was moving in its sheer simplicity of performance, but the final song Hallelujah (which was Cale’s choice for a song to leave behind and one to share, as well as fitting the obvious Cohen criterion) was the one to bring the collective voice of the crowd to join in. The standing ovation was well deserved.

And so the songs were sung – each artist having contributed a selection that revealed as much about themselves and their song writing as a full set of their own songs would. An opportunity to enjoy acts well known, witness rare collaborations and arrangements, learn new music and celebrate song writing; Seven Songs to Leave Behind succeeded in every way. We can hope the Festival presents an equally engaging concept next year, but for now Seven Songs isn’t going to be easily forgotten.

TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS FROM THE EVENING HERE

Set list:
Wipeout – Gurrumul Yunupingu
Djarrimirri – Gurrumul Yunupingu
Pop Life – Meshell Ndegeocello
Shitlist – Sinead O’Connor
The Moon Is Made of Gold – Rickie Lee Jones
Heartbreak Hotel – John Cale
The Sloganeer – Meshell Ndegeocello
Chelsea Hotel #2 – Meshell Ndegeocello
Lola – Meshell Ndegeocello
Look Around – Meshell Ndegeocello
Crying in Your Beer – Meshell Ndegeocello
If It Be Your Will – The Black Arm Band
Old Fitzroy – Dan Sultan
Boy In The Bubble – The Black Arm Band
Bapa – Gurrumul Yunupingu
Company – Rickie Lee Jones
Sailor Song – Rickie Lee Jones
Gangsta’s Paradise – Rickie Lee Jones
Somewhere – Rickie Lee Jones & Archie Roach
One of Us Cannot Be Wrong – Rickie Lee Jones
Letter From Abroad – John Cale
Dirty Ass Rock N Roll – John Cale
Magritte – John Cale
Fear Is A Man’s Best Friend – John Cale
Pablo Picasso – John Cale
Fool For You – Sinead O’Connor
Psalm 33 – Sinead O’Connor
Natty Ride – Sinead O’Connor
Serve Somebody – Sinead O’Connor
Tower of Song – Sinead O’Connor
Take Off Your Shoes – Sinead O’Connor
War – Meshell Ndegeocello
Bayani – Gurrumul Yunupingu
Swept Away – Shellie Morris
Last Chance Texaco – Rickie Lee Jones
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
Hallelujah – John Cale feat. full cast