Live: The Badloves & Chris Wilson – Melbourne Zoo
By Tim Murray • Feb 25th, 2009 • Section: Music, Reviews
The Bad Loves onstage.
There’s something about a lazy Sunday evening sitting on the grass with a few beers while you listen to live music – it rarely lets you down. And, perhaps a little surprisingly, the Melbourne Zoo does it really well with their Twilight sessions.
Throwing The Badloves into the live mix was a rare treat too. Not only have they not been seen since 1999, but their get-up has that same ‘lazy Sunday’ feel to it. The night was poised…
But first thing’s first. We found our spot on the lawn, laid out the spread, grabbed a couple of beers and let blues stalwart Chris Wilson and his band set the tone.
If you’ve never seen Chris Wilson, you would no doubt have heard him. Turn on any Australian rock or blues tune from the last 30 years and if you hear the ol’ mouth organ, you can bet Mr Wilson is probably behind it.
His experience was obvious, with a slew of solid blues tracks punctuated by his trademark harmonica licking throughout. Standards like ‘Show You How to Walk the Dog’ provided a sense of familiarity for the family set, as the burly Wilson encouraged their participation throughout his hour-long gig. It was all good clean fun.
Next up, The Badloves. Ever since hearing ‘Memphis’ on the radio while working ‘Hot Side’ (the kitchen) out the back of Sizzlers in 1994, I’ve always been hooked on their ‘rock-hippy-soul’ tunes. So I was suitably pumped to hear it live again after 10 years of missing out.
It was apt, then, when they opened with their early hit, ‘I remember’. Hearing the smooth Michael Spiby tonsils brought the memories flooding back. But in hindsight, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’d now prefer to hold on to those memories.
Don’t get me wrong, the tunes were all there – ‘Living Thing’, ‘Yesterday’s Gone’, ‘Barefoot Bride’, ‘Slave’- and, if they had asked me to write the set list, there would’ve been plenty of similarities.
Unfortunately, at times, they seemed to lack the polish that made their live act such a pleasure – with one notable exception.
Lead guitarist, Jak Housden, is one of the finest this country has produced. Watching every note, every wail, every sound produce its own swerve, jerk or sway of Housden’s wiry frame is a pleasure- and worth the price of admission in itself.
But there was an air of scratchiness from the new line up that seemed to be still feeling its way. Original members Michael Spiby (vocals), Housden (guitar), and John Favarro (bass) are now joined by new members behind the keys and the kit. While I’m reluctant to write them off after one gig, I couldn’t help but pine a little for Tony Featherstone and Chris Tabone.
Yet it was still a pleasure to hear them play again. They gave us a taste of the new album, and it showed plenty of promise. A rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s ‘For What It’s Worth’ was a little less so, but still entertaining. And when they finished up the 1 hour 15 minute set with crowd pleasers like ‘Memphis’, ‘Green Limousine’, ‘Lost’ and a break-neck version of The Band’s ‘The Weight’, we all went home happy in the knowledge that they at least played what we came to hear.
And if you’re toying with the decision to head along to a session of The Zoo Twilights, I would highly recommend it. Sure, we were spoilt with a mild, comfortable night, but it’s well worth the entry fee – and hey, you get to see the animals along with it.
So pack your Esky, grab the rug and head out to The Zoo for the Twilights. They do a good night on the grass with a few beers and some live music.
Email this author | All posts by Tim Murray
2 Responses »
Leave a Reply
great review!!! are the bad looves playing anywhere else?
The Badloves have a couple of gigs coming up that I know about. You can see them at A Day on the Green at Rochfords Winery in the Yarra Valley. They are first on the bill along with Ross Wilson, Casey Chambers and Shane Nicholson and Jimmy Barnes. A Day on the Green never fails to deliver an awesome day/night. That’s on Saturday 28th March.
They’re also playing Caper’s in Hawthorn on the 29th March. That’s a nice intimate venue, great place to see a band.
Hope you can get along and enjoy it.