Review: Greg Phillips. Photos: Jason Rosewarne
The BOM weather app had been messing with our minds all morning, predicting showers at some point during the day. However, upon arrival at Mornington Racecourse the sunbeams shone long and strong and with a lineup consisting of 1927, Southern Sons, Kate Ceberano, Daryl Braithwaite, Richard Marx and Tina Arena, nothing was going to stop this large crowd from having a ball.
The long line of traffic down Mornington Tyabb Road into the Mornington Racecourse car park meant we could only catch the last two songs of 1927’s set. Fortunately they were the band’s biggest hits, That’s When I Think of You and If I Could. Lead singer Eric Weideman’s voice is still in top shape and a great song is a great song, that never changes. A substantial audience who had already staked their territory claims appreciated 1927’s stellar performance.
Always and Ever, the second single from Southern Sons’ debut self-titled album kicked off that band’s day. While it was heartening to hear a strong vocal performance from Weideman in 1927’s set, Southern Sons’ Jack Jones vocal range was incredible, especially on a passionate version of Hold Me In Your Arms, which melted many female hearts in our vicinity. If that song made many swoon, then Jack’s dedication of Burn for You to John Farnham generated audible gasps around the venue. Since original drummer Virgil Donati left the band moons ago, the drum seat had been hard to fill but Pete Drummond was more than willing to take up the challenge and delivered the goods in spades. Jack has lost none of his fabulous lead guitar skills either. Heart in Danger ended an impressive performance from the band.
When the sun is shining and you’re with a bunch of friends sharing food and drinks, there’s nothing better than one of these multi-band events to put a smile on your dial. In my experience with any Face to Face touring concert at Mornington Racecourse, the access to refreshments and toilet facilities is always easy. Granted, food and drink is not cheap but where is it these days? The Always Live venture, also involved today, has added so much spark to Victoria’s live music scene this summer too.
Beginning with one of her biggest hits Pash, Kate Ceberano took us on a journey throughout her storied career. The Models Outta Mind, Outta Sight and Barbados then acknowledged her appearance with Models on the legendary 1987 Australian Made tour, which also featured INXS, Divinyls,The Triffids, The Saints, I’m Talking, Mental As Anything and Jimmy Barnes. Can you imagine seeing all of those bands together in one show? The 80s celebration continued with PhD’s I Won’t let You Down and a snippet of Blondie’s Heart of Glass, followed soon after by Divinyls’ Boys In Town. Kate is eternally fun, energetic and vocally strong and it’s clear she has an affectionate connection with the crowd.
For me personally, the I’m Talking (Kate first band) section of the show was the highlight of the day. As she told the crowd. I’m Talking are one of the most underrated dance bands in Australian music and you can’t argue with that. My appreciation of songs such as Do You Wannabe?, Holy Word and Love Don’t Live Here Anymore goes way back to gigs at Melbourne’s Grainstore Tavern and Kate’s band today performed cracking versions of them all. Backing singers Michelle Serret Cursio and Angela Librandi in particular added much spark to the mix. Straight from her Sydney debut single launch (with the Melbourne launch happening this Wednesday at The Gaso) guitarist Kathleen Halloran was on fire with her slick lead licks and tasteful rhythm playing. The audience sung along to Brave and Bedroom Eyes then danced their arses off to Young Boys Are My Weakness and Trust Me. Kate is such a pro and knows how to work a crowd. The setlist for her final gig of the year was the perfect elixir too.
The sound guy must have been distracted momentarily as Daryl Braithwaite and band stood, unannounced on stage with the PA system still beaming out generic bangers. Finally the band cranked into the intro to Blueswalkin’, an obscure Sherbet song from 1976 (with possibly a ‘borrowed’ organ intro from The Band’s Chest Fever off 1968’s Music from Big Pink). Sherbet classics Howzat and Summerlove followed and simply radiated happiness in the audience. With the supergroup that Daryl has assembled featuring Simon Hosford on lead guitar, David Campbell on rhythm guitar, Gerry Pantazis on drums, Jason Vorherr on bass and Richard Tankard on keys, these old songs gained a fabulous new lease of life. Braithwaite’s solo hits Rise, As The Days Go By and One Summer also has the crowd shouting back the choruses with nostalgic passion … or possibly it’s the chardonnay! For any international traveler who’d stumbled into this or any Daryl Braithwaite gig, it would be difficult to explain the powerful attraction to Sherbet songs and even tougher to relate the significance of Daryl’s Ricki Lee Jones cover The Horses and the impact it has on a crowd, it’s such joy spreader and Dazza milks every audience moment out of it that he can.
Next up the international element of the day with American Richard Marx bringing his sentimental radio hits to town. Beginning with a relatively new tune Believe In Me from 2022’s Songwriter album, Richard’s hardcore fans had already assembled at the front of stage area. Marx has always been quite the poster boy and even decades down from his hit making days, he’s looking like a trim, fit, handsome young man in his peace symbol t-shirt. Known best for his heartfelt ballads, Marx has put together a punchy rock band, which really hit their straps on songs such as The Way She Loves Me, Too Late To Say Goodbye and Long Hot Summer, co-written with Keith Urban. I’m loving the look of Richard’s burgundy and flame top Les Paul Juniors too. Of course it’s Richard’s downtempo hits that have become the soundtrack to the lives of many in the audience and it took little encouragement for them to singing along to Take This Heart and Hold On To The Nights. Marx tells the amusing story of the genesis of his song Angelina, which was partly written in a toilet cubicle at Doyle’s restaurant in Sydney while trying to escape a particularly boring record company luncheon. Some of Richard’s biggest hits Hazard and Should’ve Known Better rounded out the set, with only Right Here Waiting For You left to perform. Moving to the piano, it didn’t take long for the audience to take over vocal duties on the platinum selling single, a gesture which Marx seemed genuinely touched by as he told us all, “I’ll never forget this night”.
Tina Arena, one of Australia’s highest selling artists of all time took to the stage to celebrate the 30th anniversary of her landmark second album Don’t Ask on her aptly titled Don’t Ask Again Tour 2024. However unlike many other artist’s recent milestone album performances, Tina was never going to be able to play the record in track order as the first track was her biggest ever hit and that was always going to come at the pointy end of the show. The next best thing to begin with was track two and a hefty hit anyway, Heaven Help My Heart. Don’t Ask earned ten ARIA Award nominations and won five including ‘Album of the Year’ and this evening at Mornington we were reminded why via the sheer power of Arena’s voice. She’s the grand, not-so-old dame of Australian song and dressed accordingly, sporting a black coat over a long black gown featuring very impressive sleeves with a bejewelled hair piece and glittered face, repping a very stately vibe. After stunning versions of Wasn’t It Good, Message and Greatest Gift, we’re reminded just how strong the Don’t Ask album is and Tina didn’t mind reinforcing that fact to the crowd.
A wonderful version of Love Is the Answer, with a highlighted percussive element courtesy of the masterful Jason Heerah went down a treat with the delighted audience. An epic rendition of Maria McKee’s Show Me Heaven was also much appreciated. Until this current tour, Tina had never played the song live.
For the first encore, Unravel Me from her Eleven album, You Made Me Find Myself from Just Me and Not Still in Love also from Eleven, further enthralled the crowd.
The second encore brought out the heavy artillery. Of course Sorrento Moon was always going to be special given the Peninsula location she was performing at. Then finally track one from Don’t Ask, her global hit Chains had everyone up and dancing, topping off a fantastic day of quality, predominantly Australian music, with an international tinge courtesy of Mr Marx. Congratulations to all involved in creating such a visually spectacular, perfectly sounding production today.
