Setlist(from memory)
My Kind of Scene
Up & Down & Back Again
These Days
Belter
Like A Dog
ON5
Waiting for The Sun
The day You Come
Pick You Up
Don’t wanna Be Left Out
My Happiness
Thrilloilogy
ENCORE
Whatever Makes You Happy
Passenger
I'm an English Powderfinger fan introduced to the band on a visit to
Australia last year, so its been a big buzz being able to see them twice in
the UK in the last year. Last time in Nottingham the venue was small &
this was a similar experience.
The gig took place in The Students Union
venue, which is essentially a big Pub Venue, (around 500 capacity). The
Crowd was around 70% Aussie at least(which seemed to be getting to Bernie a
little during the gig, he said something along the lines of "we really
appreciate the Australian fans turning up but it'd be nice to play to some
English people for a change, that’s why we're here"
Again Powderfinger were
exceptional, even better than last time, after an average support
band (13:13 who were basically the manic street preachers without the songs,
still developing) I got an amazing position to watch them, literally right
in front of Bernie (to give you an idea he had trouble reading the setlist
before My Happiness & asked me what was next).
They opened with My Kind of
Scene, which is even more understatedly anthemic live than on CD, an
exceptional opening, followed with stirring versions of Up & Down & Back
Again & These Days & an ever- incendiary Belter. By this time anyone amongst
the crowd who wasn’t already a devout fan had been won over (my mate who I'd
persuaded to come on the basis of hearing ON5 a couple of times was
impressed) Even Like A Dog, probably my least favourite Powderfinger song,
has added bite after an opening comment of "This is avout the australian
government, who are a bunch of fuckers" ending with an "if you like that
song, write home to your parents & tell them to stop voting for the liberal
government" (N.B. Bernie, there were some English fans, could you explain
the situation next time). It is followed by a chilled ON5, before they kick
back into Waiting for The Sun, which is great, working surprisingly well as
a mid set song.
The Day You Come then gets the reaction which can be
expected of such an evocative song, before being eclipsed totally by Pick
You Up introduced as "an old song of ours which you might not know, but we
think you'll really like it". Don’t Wanna Be Left Out works into a mid-song
apex, (the guys jammed mid song a few times, which they didn’t do last time
I saw them). They end the set with My Happiness, (which they'll release as
the first UK single) & a climatic Thrilloilogy, before encoring with an
exquisitely stripped down Whatever Makes You Happy before closing on a high
with Passenger.
Overall an excellent gig, even better than last time, in the past year Iv'e
seen Bob Dylan, the Who, Radiohead, Flc, Frank Black, Muse, Coldplay, & Eric
Clapton amongst many others, & Powderfinger can compete with the best of
them, only a couple of minor complaints (more suggestions for next time than
complaints.)
1. Not enough old songs, or more to the point, not enough variance in the old songs included in the set, it may just be my luck, but the setlist, great as it was, was almost identical to last time I saw them, where was Already Gone, Hindley St, etc.
2. If Bern's so keen to attract English fans, it might be a good idea to make some comments geared towards us, as opposed to domestic Australian disputes.
Still, overall these were very minor gripes with a band that definitely deserve more exposure here than they get right now. Can't wait until they come again!
Tom Lee
