The Waifs perform live.

The Waifs perform live.

The Waifs
Hi Fi Bar & Ballroom
February 3, 2009

The Waifs, for anyone who has not had the pleasure, are those friends of yours who are more than handy on the guitar, and when you invite them over for a barby, the night will always end with a few sing-a-longs, some sweet harmonies, dexterous work on the fret board and some good ol’ fashion fun.

And The Waifs latest gig at the Hi Fi Bar was never going to be any different. They invited fans to choose the set list via their website in the weeks leading up to the tour, and it worked a treat.

After a quick loosener, Lighthouse kicked off the hand-clappin’ and knee-slappin’, and when this was followed with Take It In, the tone was set and they never looked back. In true Waifs fashion, the fun and frivolity was all mixed in with a smattering of new tunes and alternative treatments thrown in for good measure.

Early in the set, a stripped back Bridal Train offered a new take on the usual classic country feel, with barely an acoustic guitar in sight. I could never work out why, but it left me with shades of Bryan Adams ringing in my ears, yet somehow, no harm was done.

It was The Waifs, after all. It’s always about having a good time. “I feel like we’re playing in your back yard,” Donna added in between the songs and stories. And that’s exactly how it felt for the crowd too – only you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to clean up when everyone pisses off.

All the better to soak up the harmonies of sisters Donna Simpson and Vikki Thorn, as they took us through a veritable ‘best of’ set list that included old favourites London Still, Love Serenade, Fisherman’s Daughter, Willow Tree and Lies amongst plenty of others. Haircut, too, was just one of the lighter moments of the night, where the stories told are often just as entertaining as the songs.

We were never going to miss out on Crazy Train and the sing-a-longer’s favourite, Gillian. It was also nice to hear guitarist Josh Cunningham sing the last verse; after all, he did write it for his Mum and it’s always felt a little weird when hearing the girls sing “Gillian, if you weren’t my mother I’d make you my wife.” Not that we don’t get it when the girls sing it, but it means so much more when you hear Josh telling his Mum exactly how he feels.

A couple of new tunes filled the middle and showed plenty of promise, a solo double bass version of SunDirtWater provided a nice soulful take, and Pony – from the same album – simply rocked.

Two encores filled the two-hour show, with the whole band – Hammond organ, drums, double bass/electric bass included – leaving you thinking that this is just another Aussie band who are even better live than what their recorded material suggests.

So if you ever want to have a bit of good ol’ fashion fun, with a few buddies playing some sweet tunes, as you sing-a-long in between a few jars to loosen you up – you’ll get all that and more at a Waifs gig.