Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
I recently attended my first concert since the pandemic.
There was a lot to live up to - my last concert was Queen and Adam Lambert at the (then) ANZ Stadium at Homebush in Sydney.
It was a stunning, crazily packed, immersive experience - even if we did experience it from what felt like 17 kilometres in the air.
In regular, non-pandemic times I'd attend live music about six times a year.
In the roughly six months leading up to that Queen show, I saw Fleetwood Mac (with Neil Finn replacing Lindsey Buckingham in the line-up), James Morrison (guitar, not trumpet), Hans Zimmer (if you've never experienced the music of this legend live, I highly recommend it - there is nothing like hearing the sounds of The Lion King and Gladiator in the flesh) and Shawn Mendes.
So I was lucky that I had such a strong array of recent music experiences to sustain me through the pandemic years.
But it's not until you head back to a live show that you can really appreciate what you lost in that time.
My return show was Jon Stevens, performing the music of Noiseworks and INXS, at the Enmore Theatre.
Dragon, headed by Mark 'Show No Mercy' Williams, opened the show.
It was fantastic. Everyone was singing along in full voice.
Crowd members could barely be contained in their seats, standing and dancing for most of the show.
There was everything you expect to see at a show:
- The Budgie
You know the one - they find their way close to the stage, are very performative in their dancing and singing, as if they need to prove they know all the words, and will look around frequently to try and force everyone else to match their level of enthusiasm. Their head is bobbing up and down constantly in all the photos and videos you try and take of the performer. They find a way to make the event all about them for the people in their immediate vicinity.
- The Live Streamer
A more modern addition to the concert-going experience. These folks watch the act solely through their phone, spinning around regularly to - much like The Budgie - show everyone watching at home (is there anyone?) how much of a good time they're having, with their face in frame and the performers behind them. They will be very enthusiastic when called on to produce their torch light for the mellow songs.
- The Companion
This is the dude that just doesn't want to be there. They were roped into coming by their significant other/child/parent/friend. They don't know the songs, they don't care for the music, they wish it would end soon. They will have either one beer or a tightly clutched bottle of water.
- The Merch Fiend
They waited for the doors to open and made a beeline for the merchandise stand. They ask the attendant to show them all the shirts up close, before settling on two or three, and maybe a stubby holder. They will definitely get a program (if this show has a program). One shirt will be immediately worn, probably over the top of their existing clothes.
- The OG
This one was a fan before anyone else (and they'll tell you about it loudly). They're recalling the time they saw said performer at [insert cult favourite low-key venue for up-and-comers] in [insert date three to five years before the performer got radio play]. They show great disdain for the people who have only liked them since [insert album that everyone likes].
- The Loose Unit
Oh dear. They've imbibed a few bevvies before the show. They're having a great time in the opening act, but by the time the real deal rolls along, they're close to gone. They'll stand - wobbly - and probably extend an arm in appreciation of the music, eyes threatening to close. Someone will tap them on the shoulder and suggest they should sit down. They'll nod, 'yeah, of course mate'. Not 25 seconds later they're back on their unsteady feet. Their companion will embarrassingly escort them out while everyone in their nearby row is distracted from the performer and watches them go.
Half of these folks are painful, but it's really not a live show without them, is it?
And let's be realistic - we're probably one of these ourselves, aren't we?
In case you are interested in filtering all the latest down to just one late afternoon read, why not sign up for The Informer newsletter?
MORE STUFF HAPPENING AROUND AUSTRALIA:
- Labor makes $656m regional telecoms pitch with specific funding for farmers
- Court to decide NSW preselection brawl as PM mulls poll date
- Two dead after chopper crashes in NSW
- Victorian driver swept away in floodwaters
- Family tragedy: Two dead, two critically injured as landslip claims bushwalkers lives
- From a walk on the beach, Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein knew it was time to resign
- Labor to put the boot into the budget, claim it has no vision
- Retiree set to travel around Australia on a postie bike