The Charlatans @MetropolisFremantle, Perth (15/11/10)

Wed 17th Nov, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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The Charlatans have spent the last twenty years carving out a unique niche for themselves in rock’n’roll in which to slowly simmer away and produce a sound that could be likened to a bouillabaisse of wearing their numerous influences on their sleeves and sticking to their own guns.

Having survived numerous and notorious UK press-driven fads and boutique genres, Tim Burgess and co. quietly found their formula in the late 80s, earned a brutally loyal following in the early 90s and, with trying times and tribulations thrown their way, managed to keep their eyes on the road, bringing them to 2010 and the release of their 11th studio album Who We Touch.

With Fremantle resembling a ghost town on Monday night, Metros Freo was the one place packing heat with a healthy turn out of fans all eager to have a good time. When The Charlatans leapt on stage with an alarmingly gaunt and youthful looking Burgess chanting ‘Good Times’, drinks were raised and it was time to do some dancing! One rabid young female fan clearly stunned by Burgess’ appearance was heard audibly over the PA asking him how old he was to which the reply was ‘I’m feeling pretty alright thanks very much!’

With two decades of honing their skills as performers, the show seemed an effortless task. Martin Blunt (bass), Mark Collins (guitar), Tony Rogers (keyboards) and touring drummer Pete Sailsbury (ex co-founder of The Verve) were almost surgical in their playing, yet never clinical. The general feel of ‘The Charlatans sound’ has consistently stemmed from funky chord vamping on a Hammond organ whilst Mark Collins fills in the gaps with his guitar. Collins seems content to sit back in the mix as much as possible and add texture where necessary as a funky drum shuffle gets toes tapping.

This approach was made loud and very clear to the Metros crowd with Rogers funking out on his B3 with his organ well up in the PA (his Hammond that is). With Blunt and Sailsbury holding a steady low end, it was all down to Burgess who was a shimmying mass of energy all night and unsurprisingly, all eyes were on him.

The twenty-odd songs that made up their set was a lucky dip into their back catalogue with Weirdo and Cant Get Out of Bed being early highlights and Northern Country Boy, the brilliantly penned hit; The Only One I Know and encore, Sproston Green fleshing out the latter part of the evening.

When Sailsbury began the intro to Oh Vanity one couldn’t help but feel they were about to launch into a cover of Stone Roses’ I am the Resurrection – with Burgess sporting a classic Ian Brown haircut and having similar vocal delivery, (he has the ‘Monkey vibe’ about him too), some of their sleeve badges were proudly displayed. Unlike the Roses, The Charlatans are an excellent live band, and Burgess’ voice was note perfect the entire evening. He even spent a great deal of time addressing the hardcore fans in the front row, something Mr Brown failed to do when he fronted the Roses in the very same venue too long ago.

And that’s where the comparisons should end. There were several hugely popular UK bands that have been and gone over the course of the last twenty years and all possessed similarities to The Charlatans’ sound. For all the popularity (and record sales) that ensued for the aforementioned unnamed acts, The Charlatans failed to break through to the masses, instead maintaining a loyal and adoring fan-base around the world.

It is a strange world we live in.

At any rate, the collective booty at Metros on Monday got one hell of a groovy ninety minute work out and indeed ‘Good times’ were had by all. A fantastic way to end their 2010 Australian tour. Cheers to The Charlies!

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