Saturday, September 06, 2008

You freak me
So, late Friday arvo call, and what do you know - I've got tickets for the Crosstown Revue. Yay! Off to see Supergroove and guests at the mighty Civic. Two sets, intermission at a gig, seated venue hmmm..

First set starts with Supergroove joined by Gin Wigmore. What great songs! Word is she's just signed a record deal for the US. Not hard to see why, she is a huge talent. A few Supergroove numbers, then they try out a new song that is... new. Kinda midtempo rock tune, with a chorus that includes Che singing something about "when the shitstorm hits you..." Moving along, Hollie Smith comes out, and sits at the keys and wails thru a few of her numbers, ably backed by Supergroove. The crowd love her. And then its intermission. Strange thing - no-one at the gig in Supergroove t-shirts. Time was, back in the early 90s, you couldnt walk thru town without seeing someone in their tshirts with that logo on. They were everywhere.

Set two opens with the curtain coming up to reveal Scribe sitting on a stool mid-stage, with Supergroove on stage playing a moody intro that shifts into his song Stop The Music, with Gin Wigmore tastefully filling in for that pitched-up vocal sample (wacky ol P-Money). Straight outta that and into Tim and Nick on the horns, honking out that distinctive three-note riff that is Not Many. You get Scribe rapping, with Che and Karl backing him. Choice. Scribe even lets Karl handle lead for one of the choruses, leading my mate to suggest "Look, its Donald Duck onstage!" He does flail most energetically, that boy.

Other highlights - Che's Fade Away, with Hollie and Gin backing him up. And of course, You Freak Me, Scorpio Girls, Can't get Enough, For Whatever Reason (with extra rap added midsong from Scribe) and Chains, featuring Scribe, Gin and Hollie - Killer.

Karl asked the audience for a round of applause for the Civic, and then Che added "Put your hands up if you saw Star Wars here, return of the Jedi" - a few folks cheered and then he laughed and said "heh, you old!" There was a lovely version of Che's tune Misty Frequencies earlier too, with bass, keys, drums and Gin and Hollie on backing vocals.

A great night's entertainment. And at the Civic, one of the most under-used venues in this city. And then there's the Wintergarden too...

No comments: