Before I head off to another concert tonight I figured I’d best put fingers to keyboard and write about last Saturday’s gigging. As a child of the 80s, I couldn’t resist the lure of the Totally 80s show touring around the country. I probably wouldn’t see any of the acts on their own, but put them all together and I knew I was in for a fun night.
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.
Those short sets were just what I was hoping for at a show like this. Give the people what they want and move on. Maynard F# Crabbes, who you may remember from numerous TV and radio gigs in the 80s and 90s, kept the night running like a well-oiled machine, introducing acts and then sending them on their way in his bold gold suit. It worked a treat, especially forbands like Real Life and Wa Wa Nee whose material I was the least familiar with. Unlike so many of the crowd, I was too young for the pubs and clubs in the 80s, so I don’t have the same memories they did of dancing until late to their songs.
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.
While there were some lowlights, Totally 80s was an incredible night which proved many of the iconic acts of the decade are every bit as good as they once were. Hopefully the promoters will put together another bill of 80s favourites next year, because I’d love to do it all again.
The very best albums, in my opinion, are the ones where artists lay their souls bare. Where they strip back all the artifice and leave themselves exposed and vulnerable. It’s rare to hear music that’s as raw as all that, but that’s just what we get on One For Sorry, Two For Joy, the stunning new album from London-based Aussie 
From the moment the opening strains of “The Valley” wafted through my speakers, I knew I was going to like Thieves, the latest album from 
With her sophomore album Blastoma, 
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.
Melbourne band 
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.
The year’s not yet half over, but Adelaide singer-songwriter Sam Brittain may have recorded my favourite album of 2016 in Signal Lights. 
The music industry moves so quickly. That’s one thing you really notice when you take a little time away. Press releases are sent, EPs are released and launched, and what was once timely quickly becomes yesterday’s news. But the funny thing is, even though there’s such a rapid turnover of new music and we’re always quick to race on to the next best thing, the very best music doesn’t date at all. It’s timeless. And that’s why even though Sydney singer-songwriter