The Church @ Notes, Sydney(5/11/2010)

Wed 8th Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

There are more bombastic ways to ring in a 30th anniversary than an acoustic tour. But The Church, particularly of late, have largely followed their own desires – from releasing a slew of new material on their own label Unorthodox to frontman Steve Kilbey’s infamously spontaneous and ultimately tremendous ARIA Hall of Fame speech earlier this year.

So a sold-out crowd packed into the intimate Notes to ring in the anniversary, anticipating a two-set journey through the group’s lengthy back catalog. Notes is an interesting choice of venue – its small capacity sold out quickly, and its dinner and show format meant that most punters were crammed along the outskirts of the venue while diners sat at their tables, with staff weaving between tables during the early parts of the set.

Not a great format for most punters, but it made for a more formal vibe to the evening. And that fit well with the acoustic format of the show, which began well with Pangaea, a rich, pretty number from Untitled #23. The group’s relatively recent acoustic records, which feature a number of reworkings, allowed the group to slip some old favourites early in the set, with a slithering, jazzy Reptile giving an interesting take on what is usually a more urgent, driving song. Similarly, The Unguarded Moment also made an early appearance with a reworking that stripped it of much of its jangly, exubrant charm, but still managed to impress by way of being a straight-up brilliant pop song.

The highlights were to be found in the newer material though, with Space Needle building up to a great percussive climax and Invisible bringing driving acoustic guitars together with calm piano lines for one of the prettiest, yet most energised moments of the evening.

The set wasn’t all highs though, and other material (particularly from the middle to later stages of the group’s career) didn’t hold up so well. And while the show’s format offered an interesting take on the band’s back catalog, the trade-off was in spontaneity, and the set at times lacked the energy of a more conventional set.

But those are minor grievances for what was an entertaining and unique show from a band that have already earned themselves a well-deserved spot in the ARIA hall of fame, and continue to progress as a group and release material at a healthy pace. The acoustic format really highlights Marty Willson-Piper’s talents, his shimmering 12-string guitar work often driving the songs and making them sound incredibly rich in the stripped-back setting. And Steve Kilbey’s personality shines through between songs, making for some hilarious banter and an engaging back-and-forth with the audience.

The main set ended with a string of tracks from the group’s most well-known records, with singles Metropolis, Under The Milky Way and a great version of Almost With You mixing with album tracks from the period. And a three-song encore brought was was perhaps the oddest choice of the night, a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins’ Disarm. Perhaps a way of returning the favour after the group covered Reptile during their Sydney V Festival set a number of years ago, it was an interesting cover but also slightly uncomfortable – Billy Corgan’s overbearing earnestness simply feels awkward when performed by a more abstract group like The Church.

With a group that are still as productive as The Church, the show’s retrospective format was both a gift and a curse, and the group didn’t quite seem to reach full flight – something that they’re sure to do with more conventional shows as they continue their career. But for the occasion, it provided a unique opportunity to catch the group in a particularly reflective mode, one that unearthed plenty of gems from a career full of them.