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George Michael
Etithad Stadium
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
George Michael in Melbourne 3/03/10
In front of 47,000 people last night and under a beautiful full moon George Michael amazed, grooved and serenade the Melbourne crowd, even after thinking he was still in Sydney, not once but three times.
His candor and honesty won the crowd over as he turned Etithad Stadium into one big dance and love rave. He still has the ultimate star power and stamina to play a three hour show. After the Whitney saga, it was even great to hear George, 46, pitch-perfect. He sung while he running across the massive stage (which was bigger than U2’s and that’s saying something!) and he wasn’t breathless ever!
Last night was his last-ever concert after 114 shows worldwide so he said he didn’t “know if I’ll be back so I’m taking this beautiful memory.” It was clear that he was there to have a good time with his audience whom he encouraged to sing and dance at every opportunity throughout the night.
After the interval George apologised for his Sydney slip and then thanked us for twenty-eight years of support.
George in his policeman shirt
Unlike his Perth show he included Jesus To A Child and Freedom along with all his hits from the past 25 years. These included Fast Love, I’m Your Man, Living With The Freaks (dedicated to Rupert Murdoch), Too Funky, Faith, Spinning The Wheel, Amazing, Never Gonna Dance Again Let’s Go Outside when he came out wearing a policeman suit and hat.
It was well worth the wait, the traffic around Etithad and the climb to our seats on the third level. George turned the stadium into a massive dance rave for all ages. It’s a shame he strongly hinted that last night was his last! He has gone out on a high that’s for sure.
Below is the setlist for last night:
Set One
Waiting (Reprise)
Fast Love\I’m Your Man
Father Figure
You Have Been Loved
Everything She Wants
Easier Affair
One More Try
Different Corner
Too Funky
Star People
Interval:
John and Elvis video
Set Two:
Faith
Spinning The Wheel
Feelin Good
Roxanne
My Mother Had A Brother
Amazing
Flawless
Outside
Carelesss Whisper
Encore:
Freedom 90
Freedom Reprise
Rob Thomas
With special guest Vanessa Amorosi
A day on the green, Rochford Winery
Saturday, February 20, 2010
We had been really looking forward to this day since it was announced last year and the concert didn’t disappoint.
As we drove towards Rochford Winery it was clear that there would be ten of thousands people there to see the brilliant Rod Thomas with special guest Vanessa Amorosi.
Vanessa Amorosi enjoying Day On The Green @ Rochford Winery
Vanessa Amorosi is very happy starting a new chapter in her life. She’s been supporting Rob Thomas around Australia promoting her latest album Hazardous.
Vanessa clearly enjoyed herself in front of the happy and loud crowd, even being proud that she broke her first string on this tour. At one stage she told the crowd “Love you guys!”
Her voice is just powerful and awesome! I must admit in a past life I wasn’t a big fan but yesterday I became one!
She said this is new chapter in her life and songs from hazardous reflect this. They’re very edgy, rocky and packed with girl power, but at the same time show Vanessa’s vulnerable side. Vanessa with her band had fun onstage soaking up the easygoing atmosphere. It was great to see.
Vanessa re-visited her past with doing her Aria topping hits Kiss Your Momma, Shine, Perfect, Absolutely Everybody and last year’s hit Who I Am. She blew everyone away with her fantastic cover of Janis Joplin’s Piece Of My Heart. She was born to sing Joplin! Amorosi’s voice has the power and the passion to do Joplin Justice.
I was extremely fortunate enough to meet Vanessa after her set. She was absolutely lovely! You rock girl! Thanks for taking my business card and for allowing a photo to be taken. Also thanks to the lovely organizer who saw us in the queue and came to get us. It was so nice of you to do that.
Now onto Rob. Rob… What can I say? He was unbelieveable! He has this down-to-earth charisma and stage presence that his audience soaks up. He doesn’t wear fancy clothes, nor does he need to. He just wore a red t-shirt with brown pants and he looked hot.
Rob and his unchanged band from his last solo tour began with Fire on the Mountain from his latest album Cradlesong (previously reviewed on Gigs ‘n Reviews). The “beautiful night” really suited Rob’s sound, giving the night something extra. Rod is always conscious about how precious time is and always is so appreciative how people choose to spend time with him! Later he said “You’re the exact crowd I wanted to play to on a Saturday night.”
Rob has been touring Australia for the past month and has two more shows. He loves it here and loves making his crowds do the Aussie chant Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi! He said last night there’s no other county which has a chant like that.
He and his band did songs off his solo catalogue including Give Me The Meltdown, Lonely No More (with his butt wriggle girls), the new single Mockingbird, Someday, Something To Be, Her Diamonds and This Is How A Heart Breaks. He explained that he doesn’t like doing Matchbox Twenty songs without that band because it doesn’t feel right. He only did only MB20 track and this was 3am which was a song written in his teenage years to impress girls at parties.
Rob enjoying the Rochford crowd
Rob also performed a couple of unreleased songs. One in particular was called Sunday Morning New York Blue and it happens to be his favourite track he wrote for Cradlesong. He wrote it for his wife, but last night dedicated to all the married couples there at Rochford.
Rob and his band did an awesome version of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. If there was ever a more perfect scene to rock out to this song, last night would be it!
He ended with the high-energy, breath-taking (literatly) This Is How A Heart Break. Then he left with the compliment, “Thank you beautiful Australia…”
Here are Vanessa and Rob’s setlists:
Vanessa Amorosi:
Have A Look
Kiss Your Momma
Hazardous
Shine
Slipping Away From Me (Max Meritt and The Meteors)
Most people think I’m crazy (Billy Thorpe)
Mr. Mysterious
Ufo
Hey now/holiday
Bed Is On Ice
piece of my heart (Janis Joplin)
Perfect
Absolutely Everybody
Who I Am
Rob Thomas
Fire On The Mountain
Give Me The Meltdown
Real World 09
Lonely No More
Hard On You
Mockingbird
Sunday Morning New York Blue
Street Corner Sympthony
Natural
Getting Late/That’s Alright (Elvis)
Give It Up
Ever The Same
Craddlesong
Someday
Something To Be
Little Wonders
Falling To Pieces
Her Diamonds
I’m An Illusion
3am
Smooth
Let’s Dance
This Is How A Heart Breaks
Motown 50th Anniversary
Rod Laver Arena
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
Rod Laver stepped back in time last night to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Motown. The crowd of young and old enjoyed being able to see and hear the stars that made Motown such a phenomenon in the 50’s and 60’s.
Backed by a twelve piece band directed by Chong Lim, Mary Wilson an original Supremes member kicked off the event with the hit Love Child, bringing back memories to her when the group started in 1959. She followed up with singing The Supremes’ biggest hits Reflections, Baby Love, Stop In The Name Of Love, You Can’t Hurry Love and Keep Me Hanging On. Unfortunately Mary Wilson’s voice didn’t hold out during her set and the crowd weren’t getting involved, even though she sang these famous songs.
The Miracles
When The Miracles came out the crowd responded to seeing these legendary men onstage. They were dressed in yellow suits, looking smart and how a Motown group should. Their harmonies and falsettos were heavenly. They did Hold Me, Shop Around, I Second That Emotion and Tracks Of My Tears.
Joan Osborne was one of the outstanding performances of the night. Her voice is soulful but edgy. She was having a ball singing My Guy and Don’t Leave Me This Way. The crowd got up dancing to this tune. Later she sang a wonderful version of Midnight Train To Geogia.
Out came Mossy (Ian Moss) and rocked with Everything’s Alright and then invited his old mate Barnesy and Joan Osborne to sing What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted which sounded good.
Mossy with Barnesy and Joan Osborne
The Temptations
.
Once The Temptations were introduced everyone remained standing. These guys still have awesome stage presence and are pitch perfect. They had insync moves and looked very smart in their suits, showcasing songs that had won them five Grammys. The way each member can sing in a particular noctive is amazing. Their songs included Get Ready, Just My Imagination, Ain’t Too Proud To Beg, The Way You Do The Things You Do and their “national athem” My Girl.
Martha Reeves And The Vandellas were very disappointing as her pitch went off quite a number of times. Luckily she had an outgoing personality that involved the crowd.
As you would expect everyone went nuts when Barnesy came onstage to his set. He added an typical Aussie feel to the night by saying “I’m the only guy in the fucking show who can’t dance!” then leapt into his Soul Deep classics. His daughter Mahalia Barnes joined him in River Deep, Mountain High and what a fantastic voice she has!
The Four Tops
The Four Tops were another stand-out act of the night. They really got people up and dancing. Each member was pitch perfect! They made us sway to Baby Need You, Bernadette, Same Old Song, Walk Away Renee and they finished with a medley of I’ll Be There /Shadows Of Love /Can’t Help Myself.
All the performers
For the encore every act returned onstage doing a touching tribute to Micheal Jackson with singing I’ll Be There. The night ended with the Motown classic Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.
The setlist for each act was:
Mary Wilson
Love Child
Reflections
Baby Love
Stop In The Name Of Love
You Can’t Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hanging On
The Miracles
Hold Me
Shop Around
I Second That Emotion
Tracks Of My Tears
Joan Osborne
My Guy
Don’t Leave Me This Way
Ian Moss
Everything’s Alright
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (with Jimmy Barnes)
The Temptations
Get Ready
Just My Imagination
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
My Girl
The Way You Do The Things You Do
Martha Reevs And The Vandellas
Heatwave
Jimmy Back
Nowhere To Run
Dancing In The Street
Joan Osborne
Destination anywhere
Midnight Train to Georgia
Jimmy Barnes
What I Want
Baby Loves Me
Heard It Through The Grapevine
River Deep, Mountain High (with Mahalia Barnes)
The Four Tops
Baby Need You
Bernadette
Same Old Song
Walk Away Renee
I’ll Be There /Shadows Of Love /Can’t Help Myself
Encore
I’ll Be There
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
I have trying to pinpoint some of the personal music highlights of 2009. There are too many to mention but here are a few that come to mind.
Human Nature with Mum and I in Vegas
As it pains me to say this but seeing Human Nature in Vegas earlier this year was something to remember! I think it was the fact that they’re Aussies just made it special. Seeing the audience slowly warm to these four white guys singing Motown was great
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