Jimmy Barnes is the type of singer who can sell out entertainment centres, so it’s always a thrill when he decides to put on a more intimate show at a venue like Lizotte’s. It’s been far too long since I’ve made the trek down the Pacific Highway to the only remaining Lizotte’s venue, but the promise of “hits and rarities” was too appealing to resist.
Jimmy’s daughter Elly-May Barnes warmed up the crowd with her star-studded band, The Ragged Company. With The Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod on tambourine and The Art’s Kara Jayne and X Factor winner Reece Mastin on acoustic guitars, this act was always going to impress. Their set was made up of covers destined to please the mostly baby boomer crowd, including cuts from David Bowie, The Everly Brothers, and Neil Young. I was a little concerned at first, with Elly-May’s vocals clearly showing nerves. However, a couple of songs in she seemed to find her feet and sing with sweetness and surety. The band’s harmonies were gorgeous and their organic arrangements of these classics allowed them to shine. The quartet seemed to be having such fun together, and the crowd responded in kind.
While Elly-May and her crew were well received, her dad was the man we were all here to see. The atmosphere when he took the stage was electric. We hung on his every word as he delivered an empassioned version of “Trouble of the World,” a song Mahalia Jackson sang in the classic film Imitation of Life. After he was done Jimmy told us about watching the movie with his dad as a young boy, thinking little of the film but being so blown away by Mahalia’s performance that he decided to bestow the name upon his daughter. She was there to his left, supporting his rich, raspy voice with her own throughout the show.
And what a show it was. I’ve seen Jimmy Barnes so many times over the years. He was actually my first concert all those years ago. Most times I’ve seen Jimmy he was rocking out with the sound turned up to 11, delivering the kind of hits that have become Aussie radio staples. This was a different kind of show, one that allowed Jimmy to celebrate favourite songs from his own back catalogue and the world of music that wouldn’t fit at those other gigs. I never would have expected to hear Nat King Cole’s “Around the World” at a Jimmy Barnes gig, but he performed it beautifully. Flesh and Wood was a favourite album when I was growing up, and I loved hearing cuts from it like “Brother of Mine” and “You Can’t Make Love Without a Soul” that rarely make the live set. No doubt with the stories contained in his upcoming book Working Class Boy fresh in his mind, Jimmy punctuated his songs with tales of his childhood and relationship to music.
I heard a few grumbles about the notable absence of hit singles, but I didn’t mind doing without them. While a ballad like “Flame Trees” made sense on a night like this, Jimmy’s more raucous numbers would have seemed incongruous. I’ve heard those songs so many times before anyway, so getting the chance to hear other tracks provided a welcome change of pace. Where he might ordinarily close the night with “Working Class Man,” we heard a flawless rendition of “Love Me Tender” instead. It was the perfect way to close this very different and very special Jimmy Barnes show.
Image source: Stephen Katulka
The Voice graduate 
The lads clearly love being back in Australia. They joked easily with the crowd and made references to home that would go over the heads of their usual Las Vegas audience. With an isolated Aussie show, rather than a string of dates, the banter felt more off-the-cuff and rehearsed than it often did back in the day.
Speaking of the 90s, the highlight of the set for me came when Human Nature brought back this decade with a trio of songs from their past. I must admit, I felt that familiar flutter of my heart when they burst out with “He Don’t Love You,” complete with the very same dance moves they performed all those years ago. The song actually formed a 90s medley which paid homage to boy band contemporaries: New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and N*Sync. I only had eyes for Human Nature during that decade, so I didn’t get quite as excited as some of the other thirtysomethings in the crowd, but I loved the nostalgia fest. “Wishes” and “Every Time You Cry” followed, reminding me of all the beautiful memories I’d made during that period of time.
Unfortunately Stacey Q was unwell, so she didn’t perform. I didn’t mind too much, as “Two of Hearts” was never one of my favourite tracks. That left Men Without Hats to open up the show. They were such an 80s guilty pleasure, with the songs always outshining the vocals. I didn’t expect those vocals to be quite as terrible as they were though. Lead singer Ivan Doroschuk’s offbeat energy certainly entertained though. And their performance was mercifully quick; they played the two big singles “Pop Goes the World” and “The Safety Dance” before exiting the stage.
Real Life, or at least lead singer Richard Zatorski, were the first to fly the Aussie flag. I loved the theatre of his performance; the big hit “Send Me an Angel” was everything I hoped it’d be.
When Paul Gray stepped down from his spot in the house band and moved into the spotlight, punters rose to their feet and filled the sides of the venue where they could dance and sing. They seemed to know every word to every Wa Wa Nee song, and I found myself watching their elation a little more than the performance. I will give Paul Gray props for bringing out the only keytar of the night.
The first real stand-out performance of the night for me was Katrina, minus her Waves. Here is a performer who sounds every bit as good as she did decades ago, and she has the energy to match it. She made delivering a high-energy number like “Walking On Sunshine” look easy. However, I was a little disappointed that “Love Shine a Light” didn’t make her two-song set, especially since Maynard had mentioned her Eurovision win. I didn’t know the track she opened with, and while it was good I couldn’t sing along.
Limahl of Kajagoogoo was thoroughly charming, but his voice couldn’t quite sustain the notes it once could. Thank goodness for Robyn Loau, who supported him through those challenging highs of “The Never Ending Story.” “Too Shy” was also loads of fun, even if it didn’t sound quite as good as the record.
I expected to hate Paul Lekakis’ set. I was never a big fan of “Boom Boom (Let’s Go Back To My Room).”But he was incredible. I may have been more than a little won over by that body, which looks like it hasn’t aged a day since the 80s. And that face. Add some high energy dance moves, both by Paul and his leggy female backing dancers, and what’s not to love? He was the real surprise package of the night.
I think Berlin might have had the longest set of the night, but I didn’t begrudge them that one bit. Again I knew just a handful of songs – “No More Words” and “Take My Breath Away” – and they performed them both flawlessly. Terri Nunn has such an impressive voice. She oozes charisma and really engages with her audience. And the band is tight. I was a little surprised to hear one of their songs was brand new, but when a band is as good as Berlin there’s no real reason to stop and simply rest on nostalgia.
Martika was the closer, and the artist I’d most looked forward to. I remember being infatuated with her ever since I heard her poppy cover of “I Feel the Earth Move,” a track that my dad hated because he felt it was far inferior to the original. Martika is another singer who has lost nothing over the years. The way she danced around the stage, yet delivered stellar vocals, puts the Britneys of the world to shame. I was anticipating “Love Thy Will Be Done,” a song I heard Prince perform so beautifully just a few months ago. She dedicated her performance to the man who penned it for her, noting how much we all miss him. She sang it beautifully. As she segued into the refrain from “Purple Rain,” I had to wipe a couple of tears from my eyes. We stayed in Minneapolis for the following song, “Martika’s Kitchen,” another track written by the Purple One. I’d forgotten just how much I loved this playful song, and how well Martika raps. “Toy Soldiers,” the last number of Martika’s set and the night, closed out this nostalgia-fest beautifully.
Last time around Richard was solo and acoustic, so I was excited to see him with a full band this time around. But before all that, Matt Cornell treated us with his musical stylings. I really appreciated his laidback blend of country and folk music. He’s such a talented songwriter, and honing in on his lyrics helped me truly appreciate what he was all about. I’m not sure he was the right fit for this crowd though. They seemed restless and so many of them chatted through his performance. Perhaps on a night sold on nostalgia, something more familiar would have been better received.
Or perhaps the crowd was just focused on the man they came to see, because they erupted for Richard Marx. “Endless Summer Nights” is the sort of song most artists would close with, but when you’ve had as many hits as Richard Marx you don’t need to keep anything in the tank. More smash singles followed, including “Take This Heart,” “Keep Coming Back,” and “Don’t Mean Nothing.” Richard informed us that he goes to enough shows to know what fans really want, and that new tracks would be kept to a minimum, to rapturous applause. I was thrilled to hear the new single “Last Thing I Wanted” though, a song which shows he still has a knack for crafting catchy tunes. He told us how thrilled he was that they’re playing it on stations that play Selena Gomez, when before he was only heard alongside artists like Bette Midler and Barry Manilow.
We all expected him to play “Hazard,” one of his biggest Australian hits. However, I’m not sure anyone anticipated Ronan Keating joining him on stage. I’m not sure the song really works as a duet, but the excitement Ronan’s appearance generated was something special. Personally, I was much more thrilled to see Jack Jones, the former singer of Southern Sons, on guitar for the night. I was in raptures when Richard told us he couldn’t let Jack go without hearing a little of “Lead Me to Water.” Jack’s voice sounds every bit as amazing as it did back in the day.
Another special moment came when Richard treated us to some of the many songs he’s written for other artists: the N*Sync song “This I Promise You,” Luther Vandross’ “Dance With My Father,” and Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer.” I didn’t realise Richard was behind these great songs, but hearing them sing them, it made perfect sense. I felt a little sorry for the folks who couldn’t quite hear when Richard became properly unplugged for “This I Promise You,” but honestly it was the best the audio sounded all night. The Enmore really has a lot to answer for in this regard. The performances of Richard and the band were on point all night, but the sound quality undermined their good work.
The Hurstville Entertainment Centre gave me the intimacy that I was craving last time. The term entertainment centre makes it sound larger than it is. It’s more like an old dinner theatre, with tables at the front to hold the cheese and dessert plates they sell at the bar in the foyer. I was perched in the front row, close enough to see Molly has barely aged since she was a teenage pinup. I certainly don’t have the legs to pull off the glitzy sequined dress she strutted out in!
She smoldered through “Sooner or Later,” convincing us all that she could have easily taken the Madonna role in Dick Tracy she auditioned for. More songs from her album Except Sometimes came, as well as tracks from an upcoming release and others she felt deserve a place in the Great American Songbook. I appreciated the set list, which if my memory serves correctly was a bit more eclectic than the one on her first tour. Jazz standards were well represented, of course, alongside modern cuts from Rufus Wainwright and Elvis Costello and show tunes from My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and Guys and Dolls. Few artists could so convincingly deliver such varied material, but Molly’s acting chops served her well here. Credit should also go to her band; only the pianist tours regularly with Molly but they gelled so well.
The songs were punctuated by Molly’s musings. I hung on her every word. I loved hearing why she selected certain songs, what they meant to her, about roles she’s auditioned for and her life as a wife and mum. While great music matters to me, that personal touch you get when an artist shares themselves with you really makes a concert special. Molly Ringwald might be better known as an actress, but she certainly holds her own as a singer.
Unlike so many Eurovision winners, Conchita has refused to fade away. She’s visited Australia several times since her big win, but last Thursday was her first full-length concert in Sydney. And didn’t she do it in style. Backed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, on the stage of the Opera House’s concert hall, supported by some of the best talents in the land, this show was so deserving of the diva.
Conchita started the night paying tribute to one of her greatest inspirations, Dame Shirley Bassey. “Where Do I Begin?” was such a fitting introduction to the night, easing us into the performance before Trevor Ashley, appearing as Ms Bassey herself, joined Conchita for a stunning cover of “Diamonds are Forever.” Never one to hog the limelight, Conchita graciously stepped aside to give “Shirley” her moment on “Goldfinger.” Dame Shirley’s shoes are big ones to fill, but Trevor’s vocals and mannerisms were spot on.
The night continued in much the same vein, with Conchita treating us to some of her favourite covers and tracks from her own album, interspersed with anecdotes about her journey and life after Eurovision. She was joined every now and again by our homegrown acts. Courtney Act seems like she’s only gotten stronger since Australian Idol. She joined Conchita for “River Deep, Mountain High” because going solo with an emotional performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.”
Paul Capsis showed why he’s one of Australia’s most acclaimed cabaret performers, joining Conchita for a breathtaking cover of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” The enthusiasm with which he performed Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” was something to behold.
On paper Guy Sebastian might have seemed a little out of place, a fairly vanilla addition on such a fabulously colourful night. However, reprising his breakout Australian Idol performance of “Climb Every Mountain” with Conchita was sublime. “Tonight Again,” the song he sang at Eurovision, was the perfect solo song for this crowd.
There were so many stars, but none shone brighter than Conchita. She anchored the evening beautifully, performing with such elegance and style. She has so much charisma and one of the best voices I’ve heard. I was feeling a little fatigue after so many concerts close together, but as I rose to my feet and confetti rained down while Conchita waved goodbye, I was on cloud nine. What a way to end such a busy concert period.
A Newcastle boy himself, as Doug informed us, he seemed to be in good spirits as he took to the stage. The first half of the set was made up of familiar covers that you’ve likely heard him performing before. He regaled us with tales of the times he recorded this song or fell in love with that. “Unchained Melody” and “You Don’t Know Me.” Doug must have sung “Dear Prudence” more times than he can count, but you wouldn’t know it based on his heartfelt delivery. Doug’s voice doesn’t have quite the precision it once did, but what it lacks in refinement it makes up for in richness. Even in his advancing years, he has one of the most stunning voices on the Australian musical landscape. I couldn’t wait to see what he’d do to the songs of Joe Cocker in the second half.