Double Fantasy
Neil Finn and Paul Kelly
Palais Theatre
February 16, 2013
Paul Kelly and Neil Finn have a lot in common, even before you start talking about their songwriting. For instance, as Paul pointed out during Saturday night's show, they each come from similar "clans" where music, parties and singalongs featured heavily in their upbringings. I've heard each of these guys interviewed about the process of writing songs, and it still seems as mysterious to them as it does to mere mortals like me.
I have absolutely no hope of doing any justice to just how wonderful it was to see two men I adore on the one stage. It was just as balmy inside the Palais as it was outside, so it was quite fitting when the two came on stage in pitch black carrying lanterns and started off with Kelly's Don't Stand So Close To The Window. There's such a wealth of material between the two of them, it was always going to be interesting to see what type of set they came up with. As someone who's followed them both since high school, it was just about the perfect bunch of songs you could hope for, with some of the best moments coming from one covering the other, like Paul doing a gorgeous version of Into Temptation (and I have to admit, the harmonica worked). And despite the heat and the full house, Neil's rendition of You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed temporarily made me forget I was in a room with a couple of thousand other people. It really is one of those songs you listen to alone, late at night and that's just how it felt. I'm quite narrow-minded when it comes to covers, but these two each gave the other a run for his money.
The mood in the room was playful, and Neil was probably right in that the folks who attend the first of several shows are bound to be eager. Having seen him live several times, Neil can be a little like Glenn Richards from Augie March, in that he is very much a perfectionist. So it was great to see him pretty relaxed and enjoying this experiment, even when he forgot the lines to his own songs (Sinner, Only Talking Sense). Both were more than ably supported by a genetically blessed band, including one Dan Kelly (sporting a magnificent 'fro), Elroy Finn on drums, and Zoe Haupfmann on bass - the latter providing a throbbing backing to Love Is The Law and a welcome addition to Deeper Water.
As Neil mentioned, his first show ever in Melbourne was at the Palais (during which he got electrocuted), and like Paul, he has a strong connection to this city, having lived here for many years before relocating his family to New Zealand in the early '90s. Hence it was particularly sweet to hear numbers like Leaps and Bounds and Four Seasons In One Day, which are all readily identifiable with this town. Even though many of the songs were handled by the person who originally wrote it (Winter Coat, They Thought I Was Asleep, Better Be Home Soon, Not The Girl You Think You Are, How To Make Gravy), there was something distinctly fresher to many of these than versions I'd heard before. Ordinarily, the heat would have made me inwardly glad when the show finally wound up - clocking in at over two hours, with two generous encores - but I think the adoring audience would have gratefully gone on for much longer.
As both Neil and Paul have said, having known one another for many years and sharing an obvious mutual respect, embarking on this tour is something they had talked about doing for a long time. Looking back, Nick Seymour has previously criticised Neil for originally breaking up Crowded House, since he believed that the band could still exist even if its members went off and worked on other projects, including collaborating with other people. It's a blessing for fans to get a chance to see this particular collaboration take place, with six more shows still to come - and that's just in Melbourne. The other night, Paul was complaining how he had to learn so many new chords to play Neil's songs, whilst Neil complained that he had to learn too many words for Paul's songs. Sure, there were some stuff ups and missed lines, and of course the perception of the show depends on how receptive you are anyway (and to what), but I'd still say that this was amongst the most emotionally satisfying shows I've seen.
Palais Theatre
February 16, 2013
Paul Kelly and Neil Finn have a lot in common, even before you start talking about their songwriting. For instance, as Paul pointed out during Saturday night's show, they each come from similar "clans" where music, parties and singalongs featured heavily in their upbringings. I've heard each of these guys interviewed about the process of writing songs, and it still seems as mysterious to them as it does to mere mortals like me.
I have absolutely no hope of doing any justice to just how wonderful it was to see two men I adore on the one stage. It was just as balmy inside the Palais as it was outside, so it was quite fitting when the two came on stage in pitch black carrying lanterns and started off with Kelly's Don't Stand So Close To The Window. There's such a wealth of material between the two of them, it was always going to be interesting to see what type of set they came up with. As someone who's followed them both since high school, it was just about the perfect bunch of songs you could hope for, with some of the best moments coming from one covering the other, like Paul doing a gorgeous version of Into Temptation (and I have to admit, the harmonica worked). And despite the heat and the full house, Neil's rendition of You Can Put Your Shoes Under My Bed temporarily made me forget I was in a room with a couple of thousand other people. It really is one of those songs you listen to alone, late at night and that's just how it felt. I'm quite narrow-minded when it comes to covers, but these two each gave the other a run for his money.
The mood in the room was playful, and Neil was probably right in that the folks who attend the first of several shows are bound to be eager. Having seen him live several times, Neil can be a little like Glenn Richards from Augie March, in that he is very much a perfectionist. So it was great to see him pretty relaxed and enjoying this experiment, even when he forgot the lines to his own songs (Sinner, Only Talking Sense). Both were more than ably supported by a genetically blessed band, including one Dan Kelly (sporting a magnificent 'fro), Elroy Finn on drums, and Zoe Haupfmann on bass - the latter providing a throbbing backing to Love Is The Law and a welcome addition to Deeper Water.
As Neil mentioned, his first show ever in Melbourne was at the Palais (during which he got electrocuted), and like Paul, he has a strong connection to this city, having lived here for many years before relocating his family to New Zealand in the early '90s. Hence it was particularly sweet to hear numbers like Leaps and Bounds and Four Seasons In One Day, which are all readily identifiable with this town. Even though many of the songs were handled by the person who originally wrote it (Winter Coat, They Thought I Was Asleep, Better Be Home Soon, Not The Girl You Think You Are, How To Make Gravy), there was something distinctly fresher to many of these than versions I'd heard before. Ordinarily, the heat would have made me inwardly glad when the show finally wound up - clocking in at over two hours, with two generous encores - but I think the adoring audience would have gratefully gone on for much longer.
As both Neil and Paul have said, having known one another for many years and sharing an obvious mutual respect, embarking on this tour is something they had talked about doing for a long time. Looking back, Nick Seymour has previously criticised Neil for originally breaking up Crowded House, since he believed that the band could still exist even if its members went off and worked on other projects, including collaborating with other people. It's a blessing for fans to get a chance to see this particular collaboration take place, with six more shows still to come - and that's just in Melbourne. The other night, Paul was complaining how he had to learn so many new chords to play Neil's songs, whilst Neil complained that he had to learn too many words for Paul's songs. Sure, there were some stuff ups and missed lines, and of course the perception of the show depends on how receptive you are anyway (and to what), but I'd still say that this was amongst the most emotionally satisfying shows I've seen.
posted by yossarian | 10:09 PM
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