Dave Dobbyn Concert Reviews

The Big Bill
Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand
28 March 1999

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Photograph by PAUL ESTCOURT / © Herald Pictures 1999. Reprinted without permission.

 

So... after an early brunch on the morning of the 28th round here with a bunch of Umm members, the seven of us (Toria, Kylie, Helena, Ali & Simon plus Shan & me) got to Auckland's Western Springs stadium as the gates opened at 11am. Not surprisingly Emma & Hayley were pretty much the first in the queue. We also met up with Julia & Jamie, plus Jack & Rose Harrar once inside.

I had been chatting with Helena about a month ago, about the fact that it was exactly a year ago this week that Tabac had its week of
kiwi music, featuring Neil Finn (solo for the first time), Dave Dobbyn, Greg Johnson, The Exponents and more. Le decided there needed to be some sort of all encompassing one year anniversary show, featuring all the artists just mentioned.

And lo...

The bill for the day was a who's who of NZ music, all rallying around for the sound crew and backstage workers who didn't get paid when the recent Sweetwaters festival went into liquidation.

The day started with a slinky set from Greg Johnson and his band, including Pearl Runga on backing vocals. Greg's next single "Girl I
knew" sounds like it should be a hit. The audience gave an understanding "Ohhhhhh" when Greg explained it was about a girl whe
used to live with him, but ended up marrying his best friend.

Then came Wellington band Breathe, which coincided with the first wave of crowd surfing for their awesome song "How Long". The
rain started coming down, and flowing off the awning over the stage right onto us in the first few rows. Didn't dampen the enthusiasm
though. And it soon abated. Stellar, following Breathe, also had the crowd moving and bopping along to Boh Runga's vocals & electronica / band backing. By this stage this old fogey had moved back a little to avoid having some teenagers foot in the back of the head. But hell, they were having fun, and getting out of the way didn't bother me in the least- we ended up moving 2m from the stage to 5 or 6 metres. No big deal, and the vocals were much clearer from our new position.

Che Fu kept the vibe happening with his eight piece band "Token Village", and hit after hit from his recent 2b S.pacific album, interspersed with some impressive freestyle rapping.

Dave came on at 3pm, between Che Fu and the Exponents, for a short sharp set. Having told all around me from the Umm list (Shan, Ali, Simon, Julia & Helena & Mr & Mrs Harrar) that he'd open with Language, the old bugger lets rip with Blindman's Bend! Language was second. The crowd jumped about and sang along, which was heartening considering the average age was about 16.

In the same vein as Language, Waiting and Hands kept the tempo up. I thought Dave was going to continue in the up-beat fashion he had started for the whole set, which would have well pleased the crowd. Though, Katie, your mum & dad moved up closer to the front with Julia, Helena and Jamie. After her bungy jump in Queenstown, she was seriously considering trying crowd surfing, but thankfully Jack talked her out of it. She tried yelling out for Bliss, but sadly she couldn't be heard from her position.

The band left the stage and Dave sat at the keyboard for a fantastic version of Guilty Thru Neglect. The band came back and joined Dave on Hallelujah Song. Ian Morris's fat guitar tone was a dead ringer for Jeff Beck's on his cover of Curtis Mayfield's "People
Get Ready". The gospel ending of the song had the crowd clapping along feverishly.

Dave was given the nod from side stage "Two songs left". I was expecting Whaling, Loyal or Slice of Heaven. Thankfully he didn't
play the latter, and instead slowed things up with "Beside You", ending the set on the undoubted highlight- Loyal, with Greg Johnson
playing some awesome trumpet throughout. And as is the long standing tradition, the band failed to play Be Set Free.

Later on in the next band's set (The Exponents), Dave came back out to play guitar on "Erotic". Greg Johnson also guested on trumpet. Dave stayed to play guitar on "Like She Said" too. The Exponents were by far and away the highlight of the day for me, which surprised me no end. Just that morning I had been commenting on how tired the band had sounded tyhe last few times I'd seen them.

The biggest surprise of the evening was the unbelievable response the ol' Exponents got. Before the gig I'd been commenting on how tired that band sound these days. But My God! They absolutely rocked, and played hit after hit. The crowd surged and lept and surfed and sang. Greg Johnson & Dave Dobbyn came out & added trumped and some great lead guitar to "Erotic". Dobbyn stayed for "Like She Said" too. It was Dave Gent's last gig with the Exponents too. Man, did he go out with style. And this punter was most impressed with Jordan's new direction- short hair and not a nipple in sight.

After the Exponents Semisonic played to an audience who just did not stop. I was most impressed with the band and will be seeking out Feeling Strangely Fine soon. Seeing they're from Minneapolis they played an old Prince song (Take me with U), before saying they always play the next song in their concerts so today shouldn't be any different for us. However, Dan Wilson explained things would be a bit different for the band, as the writer of the song was going to join them for it, and they were pretty nervous. So out strolled Neil Finn, and they belted through I Got You, the audience leaping all over the show during the chorus, and singing at the top of their lungs. They rounded their amazing set off with Closing Time. This was the first time I had ever witnessed a drummer who also plays keyboards (with his right hand) at the same time as keeping the beat on the drums with his other limbs!

The Feelers were late, as they'd missed their plane from Melbourne, and played a short set, which didn't actually do a lot for me. At one point their backing tape skipped, which didn't go down too well with the crowd who thought that two guitars & a bass were capable of making all the wierd sounds they were hearing.

After The Feelers we were subjected to an overlong laser show choreographed to Van Halen's "Right Now". <yawn> Surely a Kiwi hit would have been more appropriate (Counting the Beat, Pulsing or even Room that Echoes).

The Finn brothers took the stage to rousing applause. Eddie Rayner on keys, Liam Finn on drums and Dave Gent on bass. They started off with Suffer Never, which I thought was an odd choice. But it went well with the lasers, it looked like Neil was standing waist deep in the ocean. They sang Six Months in a Leaky Boat next, where Tim was inaudible. I though he'd lost his voice, but it turns out his headset mike was playing up. I guess Tim's learned not to trust his lips, and sang the whistling solo. Eddie played the full coda too, which is always a treat.

Niwhai was next, though I could only hear Neil's voice. It wasn't a patch on the Sweetwaters version of two months ago. Tim commented that since Sweetwaters, Niwhai had moved to Sydney. Neil replied "That's where everyone goes before they come back to New Zealand, TIM!", which got a huge roar from the crowd.

Tim then sang Dirty Creature, and again was inaudible for the first verse. Once he grabbed a regular microphone he came through loud and clear though. Speaking of coming through load and clear on the microphone, Neil berated his roadie, while standing too close to his mike, "Look, shut up and just fucking fix it, OK!", to which the crowd all replied "Ooooooooooh". Bloody hilarious.
There was much thanking of roadies and their tireless work by Tim later, perhaps to make amends.

The acoustic section was the highlight. First Neil had to borrow a pick from a member of the crowd, as he'd forgotton his! As Neil
started playing the first bars of It's Only Natural, Tim couldn't figure out where to put the capo and said "You're all about to learn
the sad truth about the Finn Brothers", as he called Neil over to clamp the device on the correct fret. They played Natural, plus
Angels Heap, and Weather With You.

The band came back, and Neil sang a rousing "Throw Your Arms Around Me". Liam then came out front with his guitar, while Harry from the Exponents took the drum stool. The Finns wrapped up with I See Red, lasers firing off every which way, and bodies being flung in all directions, and the last song of the evening was the predictible (but nonetheless enjoyable) History Never Repeats.

Fun. Lots of fun. Though I have to admit to being a bit Finned out at present. I think I've heard those songs a few to many times in the
last year or so, and honestly I enjoyed The Exponents & Semisonic more than the Finns on the night. A bit of a Finn drought is what I think I need. I should be back to my old self in time for Split Enz on New Years Eve with any luck...

Katie & Nancy, say hi to your mum & dad for us, and we hope their bruises from the mosh pit disappear soon.

JP. 01-04-99

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