[MUSIC ~ AUS/INT]

Bonython Park, Fri. 18 Mar.

It’s been a long time coming. The original date for the latest incarnation of Under The Southern Stars was literally three years ago, but global pandemics, international flight stoppages, border closures, restrictions and changing line-ups were finally overcome this weekend. Originally the line-up was all 1990s alt-rockers Live, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots, but when Live dropped off the bill for the first re-scheduled date the mighty Cheap Trick were added (and my heart sang with joy). Since then there was more delays and the Adelaide show turned into a three day mini-festival with differing headliners and line-up’s each day.

While people are still getting used to be able to being able to do stuff again, the COVID numbers are still soaring, everybody knows somebody effected by it and a combination of wariness of large crowds and fatigue at the end of four solid weeks of Fringe, WOMADelaide, Adelaide Festival etc. may have impacted the overall pull for UTSS on opening night. The crowd numbers were kind of underwhelming, but nobody in the audience – or in any of the bands – was letting these things get in the way in the slightest.

I arrived in time for National treasures The Black Sorrows with the ever-amiable Joe Camilleri bringing ‘it’ like it was a full house. New material and Sorrows gold are beautifully delivered Shape I’m In (a soul classic he also covered in Jo Jo Zep) Hold On To Me, Dark End Of The Street, Chained To The Wheel and St George’s Road the title track of their latest album.

A show like this has a bit of everything ‘Joe is the class, and here is the arse’ declares Rose Tattoo front man Angry Anderson before ripping the joint apart with some raw Aussie Blues Rock. They are deadly, helped along by classic AC/DC member Mark Evans on bass and legendary Angels/Skyhooks/Finch guitarist Bob Spencer on lead. They serve up stone cold classics like Who’s Got The Cash, Juice On The Loose and of course We Can’t Be Beaten, Scarred For Life, Bad Boy For Love and Rock‘n’Roll Outlaw. Like a bulldozer crushing any obstacle Rose Tattoo can’t be beaten.

I was really excited to have Black Rebel Motorcycle Club included on the bill. I love those BRMC albums, full of fat rock’n’roll grooves psych influence and riffage by the ton. I have to say I was kind of disappointed by them tonight. The wall of noise was crushingly loud, often uncomfortably so and singer Peter Hayes stayed hidden in his hoodie and bandana for the entire set, often lurking in his shadowy side of the stage and not interacting at all. There are moments of genius; Beat The Devil’s Tattoo (from the album of the same name in 2010) and drummer Leah Shapiro is a monster and powerhouse drummer, but the highlights were Love Spreads and Whatever Happened To My Rock‘n’Roll.

Their intro tapes declares “Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls – Please welcome to the stage the best fucking rock band you have ever seen, Cheap Trick!”. And do you know what? They ain’t telling any lies. Other bands may have more hits, more sales, more pyro, and shenanigans, but for a four on the floor, no nonsense, power pop rock and roll band, nobody touches Cheap Trick.

Nobody!
Not ever!

Starting with their traditional opener Hello There (originally from In Colour (1977) but cemented into the set by the classic At Budokan live album the following year). It’s a high octane rocker, but it’s also a question, and invitation, a challenge even to join this band for a great party. Straight into Dream Police, which was their Aussie breakthrough album and it’s a bloody banger! Original members Robin Zander (vocals), Tom Petersen (12 string bass) and the Guitar-playing God Rick Nielsen are joined by Rick’s son Dax on drums and Zander’s son Robin-Taylor on guitar. Rick is already hurling guitar picks into the audience. The Aussie hit If You Want My Love becomes a sing-a-long. Stop This Game was a gem for CT fans, the first single from the All Shook Up record in 1980, but I think this is the first time they’ve ever played it in Adelaide. Light Up This Fire from the latest album, In Another World, is classic ‘Trick and a reminder that they are still making incredible music in the 2020s.

Even if some chunk of this audience only know the big hits, the sheer power and prowess of  Cheap Trick has everybody enthusiastically on board for tracks like I Can’t Understand It and the killer How About You. Nielsen says: “We had a request for Gonna Raise Hell, so we’re gonna play She’s Tight”, which they do (I love this song!). As Robin Zander straps on an acoustic and plays the opening of their huge power ballad hit The Flame, a massive roar goes up (as do a sea of phone cameras). It’s nowhere near my favourite Cheap Trick song, but it does my heart good to see the love for this song from an audience of essentially mainstream people. That love indeed does crank up with I Want You To Want Me and the teen anthem Surrender, whipping everybody to fever pitch. The previously mentioned Gonna Raise Hell from the Dream Police album is a bass driven, close to ten minute, rock groove, with Zander’s voice soaring and Rick’s guitar chiming and stabbing. It is bloody stunning. Their set ends with Goodnight, a variation on the opener and rocking finish with Nielson throwing fistfuls of picks out to eager out stretched hands.

It is heartbreaking that this absolute titan of rock was making a rare visit to our city, to such a small crowd, but on the plus side, no queues for the loos or at the bar!

Hopes are high for the next two nights of Under The Southern Stars.

4 stars

Ian Bell

Under The Southern Stars will return in 2023

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[MUSIC ~ AUS/INT] Bonython Park, Fri. 18 Mar. It’s been a long time coming. The original date for the latest incarnation of Under The Southern Stars was literally three years ago, but global pandemics, international flight stoppages, border closures, restrictions and changing line-ups were finally overcome this weekend. Originally the line-up was all 1990s alt-rockers Live, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots, but when Live dropped off the bill for the first re-scheduled date the mighty Cheap Trick were added (and my heart sang with joy). Since then there was more delays and the Adelaide show turned into a three day mini-festival with differing headliners and line-up’s each day. While people are still getting used to be able to being able to do stuff again, the COVID numbers are still soaring, everybody knows somebody effected by it and a combination of wariness of large crowds and fatigue at the end of four solid weeks of Fringe, WOMADelaide, Adelaide Festival etc. may have impacted the overall pull for UTSS on opening night. The crowd numbers were kind of underwhelming, but nobody in the audience – or in any of the bands – was letting these things get in the way in the slightest. I arrived in time for National treasures The Black Sorrows with the ever-amiable Joe Camilleri bringing ‘it’ like it was a full house. New material and Sorrows gold are beautifully delivered Shape I’m In (a soul classic he also covered in Jo Jo Zep) Hold On To Me, Dark End Of The Street, Chained To The Wheel and St George’s Road the title track of their latest album. A show like this has a bit of everything ‘Joe is the class, and here is the arse’ declares Rose Tattoo front man Angry Anderson before ripping the joint apart with some raw Aussie Blues Rock. They are deadly, helped along by classic AC/DC member Mark Evans on bass and legendary Angels/Skyhooks/Finch guitarist Bob Spencer on lead. They serve up stone cold classics like Who’s Got The Cash, Juice On The Loose and of course We Can’t Be Beaten, Scarred For Life, Bad Boy For Love and Rock‘n’Roll Outlaw. Like a bulldozer crushing any obstacle Rose Tattoo can’t be beaten. I was really excited to have Black Rebel Motorcycle Club included on the bill. I love those BRMC albums, full of fat rock’n’roll grooves psych influence and riffage by the ton. I have to say I was kind of disappointed by them tonight. The wall of noise was crushingly loud, often uncomfortably so and singer Peter Hayes stayed hidden in his hoodie and bandana for the entire set, often lurking in his shadowy side of the stage and not interacting at all. There are moments of genius; Beat The Devil’s Tattoo (from the album of the same name in 2010) and drummer Leah Shapiro is a monster and powerhouse drummer, but the highlights were Love Spreads and Whatever Happened To My Rock‘n’Roll. Their intro tapes declares “Ladies and Gentleman, boys and…

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