Oils Gig Reviews
Pre-tour Gig (Sept 96)
OK, here goes. I went to the opening night of the tour last night which was an invitation only pub show funded by Sony Music as a kind of album launch, cos the band won't be here on album release day. 400 people packed in a pub with the record company picking up the bar tab. The band played for about 2 hours, mainly songs from Breathe. It was a classic first night with new songs and mostly new road crew, rather rough and ready with hiccups like Bones losing total power to his bass for 10 mins and Martin falling backwards over a slow-moving roadie...
Wot was the set like? Different! The energy is there, but slowed down...the songs on Breathe are decidedly slower than songs on previous albums...they have a funky/country sound if that makes sense. It's at least 8 years since I went to a MO gig as a punter not a worker, so it was a very different experience for me. Plus we went right up the front. Because of the type of crowd, there wasn't the crush of young guys up the front, just idiots like me who love standing in front of speakers without ear plugs. In fact it was mainly women up the front...a fact not lost on PR Garrett...but the most radical change in Pete was that he played guitar. Note I don't claim he played guitar well...but he strummed and kept time sorta...on 3 different songs. Towards the end of the ESM cycle he played guitar on Land a few times...sometimes he swaps with Rob and plays drums, but they didn't get to that last night.
The crowd as you would expect got most excited by songs that they knew like BSM, No Time For Games, Only The Strong. There's a song from Breathe, Home, which has been referred to on the list - it's the duet with EmmyLou Harris. Anyway it is quite a haunting song and a South African guy who I work with who I'd brought along said afterwards he was so touched by the song that he almost began to weep thinking of his homeland. That interested me because I have listened to the album and thought it isn't as 'accessible' as the past few albums...but of course 'live' is quite different.
Anyway I am sure you will get plenty of reviews from the guys who have gone to Manly tonight I thought I would give my perspective. I guess I've focussed on Pete because he is the one I am closest to; but one thing that I could see for the first time (and I have watched them play a heck of a lot) was Jim and Martin's eyes - as you probably know if you've seen them a few times, J&M never play the same notes to the same song twice...it was fascinating last night watching how they watch each other's fingers as they stand on opposite sides of the stage. Oh and how could I forget, Bones played acoustic guitar for one song too (Jim played bass)...he's a more competent guitarist than Pete...yeah I know I'm not giving song titles and set order...again the more diligent powderworkers will do this I'm sure.
As for photos. I don't know about this 'no photo pass required' rule, in fact that is going to be a pain. There is a long time Jim Moginie fan from Melbourne who is a great photographer - she has done the live photos on the Ghosties site - and we've given her a photo pass for the Melbourne gigs hoping for some good live shots, but if anyone can take a camera it will be a total crush....I can't believe Wild Man Willie McInnes the Tour Manager would do that, but he is full of surprises, so I will have to check.
Cheers
Diana Lindsay (ex-Oils office staff - now works for Ghostwriters)