Live Review
Summer Sounds Festival
Mia Wray, Didirri, Something for Kate, Bernard Fanning
Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.
Melbourne’s beloved Music Bowl has been transformed this evening for the Summer Sounds, decks lining the grassed area where blankets and picnic hampers used to sit. The energy in the air is heavy with anticipation, for most of the audience the hiatus from live music has been a difficult one, and the smiles in the crowd are apparent.
Mia Wray kicked things off for early comers, and the crowd begins to flood in for local performer Didirri. Standing under a huge projection of his name, the enigmatic performer opens with popular hit ‘ Bird sounds‘. Having made a name for himself on the local Indie scene, Didirri is as equally at home on the large stage and as the full moon rises over Melbourne, the singer treats us to a few new songs from his latest release ‘ Sold for Sale’ an album he released during the height of lock down; ‘ Blue Moon Rising’ the perfect song for the setting this evening.
Something for Kate, having also released an album recently saunter onto the stage- Paul Dempsey about as cool as it gets. The stage veterans have been performing to Melbourne audiences for over twenty years, and like a fine wine only get better over the years. Throwing in a cover of ‘The Whole of the Moon’ a song by The Waterboys Dempsey proving that he has the unique ability to take any song and make it his own, regardless of the genre. Having released ‘Monsters‘ twenty years ago on the album ‘ Echolalia‘ its a song that never feels old as the band perform it to the delighted crowd.
Paul Dempsey is his usual witty charismatic self as he introduces new song Last Resort Town a song that ‘Takes place in New Zealand in the future on an island full of cryogenically suspended beings.” from the new album ‘ The Modern Medieval’.
The set list has been a mix of old and new music, from songs ‘ Cigarettes and Suitcases‘, ‘Survival Expert’, Waste of Breath’ and new release ‘ Bluebird’ with Mia Wray. Wrapping up with final song ‘ Dèjà Vu’, Paul demands we all have a ‘ Bloody fantastic evening ( you’re going to, whether you like it or not)’ and the band leave to thunderous applause.
Last up for the night is Bernard Fanning and his band The Black Fins, opening with ‘ Hope and Validation‘ from the 2005 album Tea & Sympathy followed up with ‘Reckless’.
Bernard asks ‘ I’m not really sure exactly what the rules are here, are you guys allowed to stand up? No? Kinda changes about every five minuets anyway, so don’t worry about the people behind you, they’re gonna hate your guts-so you can clap and you can sing- are you allowed to sing, yeah surely you’re allowed to sing, OK , who fucken knows these days, yeah we’d very much appreciate it if you’d clap along to this one here’ launching into ‘ Songbird‘ while the cloud sings along, confined to our individual pods, collectively sharing the moment with Salliana Campbell stealing the show during her violin solo.
Looking around the amphitheater its refreshing to see people enjoying each moment, drinking it all in after such a long hiatus, phones are away instead of being raised, and we are all here in the moment. Music has the ability to unite us all, and who better to bring us together than Bernard Fanning- lovable larrakin, consummate performer and all round nice guy. Paul Dempsey was right, we are all having a bloody fantastic evening.
Playing a new song for us all ‘Steady Job’ is a succinct reminder of how dire things have been in the creative industry for us all recently and just how good it is to see things returning to some kind of normalcy. He quickly follows them up with a few songs from his old band Powderfinger – ‘ Sail the Wildest Stretch’ and ‘ These Days‘, an entrancing piano version of the popular song.
Bernard announces with glee that he has a ‘ Little surprise for you tonight, I’d like to welcome my friend Paul Dempsey to the stage ‘ the crowd erupting into applause as Paul saunters out onto the stage Bernard joking ‘ Honey, I shrunk the guitar‘ as the statuesque Dempsey is handed a guitar that almost looks like a ukulele in his hands ‘ The bigger the song, the smaller the guitar. I bought the smallest guitar I could find’ he quips.
“A few months ago, Paul asked me to join him in singing a tribute to the people of Melbourne, and Victoria and we had the great pleasure of working together on a David Bowie project called Celebrating David Bowie, where .. anyway we’ve sung this song a couple of times – we’ve never done it like this before so, this is a song by Queen and David Bowie and its called Under Pressure’ Bernard explains before the duo launch into the cover, Dempsey expertly playing the iconic riff on acoustic guitar.
Encouraged by Bernard who needs some ‘ clicking and clapping involved’ the crowd is wrapped up in a moment of pure joy, as the notes rise out into the atmosphere- a moment many of us won’t forget.
Not one for the traditional encore, Bernard gets the entire amphitheater on their feet to clap and stamp their approval so they can soak in the energy of the crowd rather than leave the stage. ‘Wish you well‘ followed by ‘ Which Way Home’ wrap up what has been a long awaited return to live music for the fatigued yet now joyful people of Melbourne.
Words by Amanda Lee Starkey
photo credit: Rick Clifford
