They Will Have Their Way @ Palais Theatre, Melbourne(5/11/2011)

Wed 9th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

They Will Have Their Way is a live tribute concert to the songwriting of the Finn Brothers. The touring show features the likes of Sarah Blasko, Paul Dempsey, Clare Bowditch, Alexander Gow (Oh Mercy), Sally Seltmann, Lior and Holly Throsby, who have worked through their versions of songs from Split Enz, Crowded House and Tim and Neil Finn’s other recordings.

Touring nationally for most of November, each artist had featured on either 2005’s tribute album, She Will Have Her Way or last year’s all-male edition, He Will Have His Way. Collectively, the two albums have sold over 400,000 copies in Australia and New Zealand and received multiple ARIA nominations.

On this warm Melbourne Saturday night, St Kilda was buzzing with people waiting outside the Palais Theatre eager to see the show. With the cream of the Australian singer-songwriter crop showcasing the songwriting brilliance of the Finn Brothers within the beautiful theatre setting of the Palais, there was indeed plenty to be excited about.

Sally Seltmann started the night off with her stunning rendition of Four Seasons in One Day, as featured on the She Will Have Her Way compilation in 2005. Seltmann’s voice really suits this song; her melancholic vocal tones and strong piano accompaniment added a beautiful initial setting for the show.

Throughout the night, each performer seamlessly entered the stage without any gaps, each song almost blurring and blotting into the other. The house band were tight, with the highlight being the inclusion of two drummers playing side to side, adding a gorgeous texture to the Finn back-catalogue

Clare Bowditch’s performances were a breath of fresh air, mainly due to the personality she brings to the stage. At one point she had the whole theatre harmonising, stating that ‘its been scientifically proven that everyone can sing.’ She was full of energy jumping up around stage, grabbing tambourines from the percussionist when she could, and occasionally swearing and then apologising because her mum was in the audience. As it turned out, her mum was seated just behind me and kept giggling when Clare made it to the stage.

Bowditch’s version of one of Crowded House’s, biggest hits Better Be Home Soon, was spine tingling, especially when the familiar voice of Paul Dempsey joined her on stage. Dempsey added some theatrics of his own, at one point getting on his knees as she sang ‘it would cause me pain if we were to end it.’

Alexander Gow from Oh Mercy’s confident performance of Paul Boy by Split Enz carried wonderfully throughout the Palais, while Holly Throsby’s typically raspy rendition of Pineapple Head served as another of the night’s real highlights. On completion, Throsby asked friends Sarah Blasko and Sally Seltman from their band Seeker Lover Keeper to join her on stage to perform Sinner, which was the debut solo single released in 1998 by Neil Finn. The group’s harmony was mesmerising, and their connection as singers was undeniable. A really beautiful moment to witness.

Lior entered onto the stage with a big applause to perform Unsinkable, telling the audience the story behind the song, which was written by Tim Finn. He said the song was about Finn’s experience with his son as they watched movie Titanic – as the ship went down his son said ‘I wish we could go down together’ – and so Unsinkable was born. Lior gave it all he had; his voice was strong and drove the song to its full depth, at moments sounding just like the Finn brothers themselves.

Other great moments during the show was Paul Dempsey’s Chocolate Cake and Red, which both gave the band a chance to rock out. Dempsey’s voice could be heard in a slightly different light, as he screamed and sang with a more bluesy tone. When Seltmann took the honour of performing my own favourite song of the show, I Hope I Never, the night reached a new height. She told the audience she felt the song was about an emotional woman. Loading it with all of that emotion as she sang ‘I hope I never have to sigh again,’ the audience let out one big sigh for her.

The end of the night was filled with some of the Finn’s most iconic songs, including Sarah Blasko’s take on Don’t Dream It’s Over, which involved all of the performers joining to create a choir, before then the encore performance’s of Crowded House’s It’s Only Natural and Weather With You. As nice a touch as it was, it didn’t reach the heights of the songs performed solo or as a duet. With all of them on stage, you lose a bit of what is so special about the Finn’s tracks – the simplicity.

Overall, this night was one to remember; an inspiring celebration of some of the best Australian songs of all time, performed by some of the best Australian artists of this time.