It’s very rare that I drag myself out to two midweek gigs. But when Richard Marx announced he was playing NEX in Mulubinba/Newcastle, I knew I had to get myself there. I’ve been seeing bands at the site once known as Newcastle Workies (and if you’re a local, forever known as the Workies) since my teenage years. They hosted Teenage Rampages when I was growing up, headlined by acts like Peter Andre and Teen Queens. There were standalone gigs from EYC and Goo Goo Dolls. Of course a lot has changed, and not just the acts. I haven’t been since the rebranding and refurbishment. It’s definitely more sophisticated these days, but it still seemed like an odd choice for the man who’s written more number one songs than anyone else.
Richard’s guitarist, who goes by the moniker Dandelion Head, opened up for him. Looking at a picture of Dandelion Head, you can probably imagine what he sounds like. Looking like he’s just finished teaching yoga classes at Byron Bay and probably smelling like patchouli, he admits that his songs are a bit “hippy-dippy.” It was a strange choice of opener, but Dandelion Head is undeniably talented. After a busy work day, I quite enjoyed chilling out and embracing his relaxed vibe.
You don’t chill out to Richard Marx. You cheer loudly. You sing along. You do whatever you want, according to Richard, because this is your show. He encourages photos and videos, insisting that he didn’t spend time putting product in his hair for people not to look at him. He even obliged a quick selfie with an opportunistic fan before insisting he had to get back to the show everyone had paid money for.
While Richard opened with a track from his new album Songwriter, he didn’t stray too far from the hits. Songs like “Take This Heart”, “Endless Summer Nights,” and “Angelia” came out early, delivered with the kind of passion that makes you forget he’s sung them for decades. If he’s becoming tired of them, it doesn’t show. A talented songwriter, “This I Promise You,” made famous by NSYNC and “Long Hot Summer”, cowritten with our own Keith Urban, also made the set.
In between songs, Richard chatted easily, cracking jokes and making us feel like we were just catching up with a friend. He’s such a generous performer who isn’t afraid to let his audience in. He introduces us to his sons during “When You Loved Me,” playing along with a video featuring their accompanying instrumentation and vocals. We get a further glimpse into his world when he plays “Front Row” in front of video featuring him relaxing with his dog and wife Daisy Fuentes.
It seemed like we’d already heard so many hits by the time the encore rolled around, but except for “Front Row,” this portion of the show was all about those massive numbers. “Hazard,” “Satisfied,” “Should’ve Known Better,” and the beautiful piano ballad “Right Here Waiting.” We sang along in raptures, so appreciative to share space with this talent. I’ve seen Richard Marx four times now, and I’ll probably go again, because it’s always a good time. Like a fine wine, he only seems to get better with age. He continues his Australian tour tonight in Eora/Sydney:
5 March 2023 – State Theatre, Eora/Sydney
7 March 2023 – Anita’s Theatre, Thurrural Country/Thirroul
8 March 2023 – Panthers World of Entertainment, Darug Country/Penrith
10 March 2023 – The Astor Theatre, Boorloo/Perth
Image source: Stephen Katulka
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.