Gig Watch: Paul Kelly - Live at Hamer Hall
By Sean Lynch
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As I prepared to leave the apartment, my house mate asked me "So how many times is this you've seen Paul Kelly?". To which I replied "Aw, mabye four?"
"That must be some kind of record for someone under the age of 50" was his sarcastic remark.
It
got me thinking. At the age of 22, was a fourth trip to see the ageing
Australian singer/songwriter one to many? The answer - hell no!
Put
simply, Paul Kelly is easily one of the most enjoyable live acts I've
ever encountered in my life span. Not only has he got a back catalouge
of perfectly composed and lyrically rich ditties as far as the eye can
see - he doesn't mind mixing it up for the crowd either (which
consisted of more than a few celebs - most noteably RockWiz's Brian Nankervis and Neighbours star, Alan Fletcher).
Over the course of his two hour strong set (the first half involving the entire "Stolen Apples"
album played from start to finish, followed by an array of golden
oldies and rarities), Kelly and the well oiled machine that is 'The
Boon Companions' wowed the three thousand strong crowd with an
emotional and energetic set.
In fact, despite playing the rather
subdued and classy Hamer Hall, on more than one occasion, members of
the crowd rose to their feet to dance in the aisles. Even Kelly
himself, at the age of 53, showed the sort of energy on stage that
would be welcome at a Kisschasey gig - jumping around in a suit to big,
with a head to small for his ears. It was simply superb.
While
you either love or hate Paul Kelly, there was simply not disputing the
man's talent as he ripped out hit after hit - everything from Dumb Things, So Much Water So Close To Home and Deeper Water (which gave me tingles in my spine, just a beautifully constructed and executed track).
The
beauty of a Paul Kelly gig is that, like a snow flake, no two are ever
the same. Each song is given it's own subtle change. I recently saw an
interview with Paul in which he said that he isn't even quite sure how
most of his older songs even go anymore, because they've all been given
a new life of their own while on tour. However, for mine, anytime a
band delivers slight changes from original recordings is a blessing.
And Kelly has blessed my ears every single time.
A fantastic
venue, a superb set list, faultless band chemistry (they all seem like
they are enjoying as much as the first day they picked up a guitar,
with Dan Kelly a standout)
combined in perfect harmony to become one of the Top 5 gigs I've ever
been to. Sure, it lacked the intimacy of a smaller venue, but the vibe
from the stage and the performers was so electric and sincere, all can
be forgiven. I've said it before, and I'll say it again - see Paul
Kelly at least once in your lifetime. Because no matter how bad you're
life has been, you'll at least know - on your death bed, that you made
at least one right decsion.
Overall: 80%
Paul Kelly & The Boon Companions are currently doing a limited promotional tour, the album "Stolen Apples" is out now. |
