Tegan and Sara

As I leapt off the 86 tram on High Street, Thornbury, and joined the long queue that had formed either side of the entrance to the Thornbury Theatre, it was clear that I had come to the right place and was, indeed, at a Tegan and Sara gig. There were many tattoos, Tegan and Sara shirts, and The Con-era hipster mullets around. The eager crowd seemed to be as confused and surprised as I was by the choice of venue – it seems that the headlining show may have been a fairly last-minute decision, as it was only announced on the 26/11, with tickets on sale on the 29/11 (and selling out within a few hours). Apprehensions dissolved, however, when we ascended the marble staircase to the main ballroom of the theatre, and discovered that the room was set-up for what was to be an intimate and memorable concert experience. I took my seat in the third row, ecstatic that I had such a vantage point, and waited. My ticket said ‘Tegan and Sara with special guests’, and I was underwhelmed by the idea of an opening act – but at 8pm, Tegan and Sara Quin stepped onto the stage, and it was evident that we were to spend the evening with the band that we were all there to see.

Tegan explained that the first half of the show would be an acoustic set, followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience, and closing with a rock set with the full band. Dark Come Soon, from 2007’s The Con (considered by many to be their ‘magnum opus’, and the favourite so far of the Quin twins themselves) opened the set, followed by Burn Your Life Down, also from The Con. With this song, I realised that we were indeed in for a special evening, and that we would be hearing songs that the band hadn’t played live in a while. In the acoustic set this included I Won’t Be Left and I Hear Noises from the album If It Was You, and Not With You from This Business of Art. Discussing the song, and that era, Sara revealed that she has a deep dislike of their first two albums, and would like to take them out of circulation; however, it was Not With You that was one of the most special performances of the night – because it was so unexpected. Other highlights of the acoustic set include The Ocean and the incredibly emotive Back In Your Head.

Following the acoustic set, the house lights were turned up, the stage lights were dimmed, and Tegan and Sara answered questions from the audience for about 45 minutes. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the band will know that they are almost as famous for their on-stage banter as they are for their music. They are delightfully funny, they bicker, and they talk to the audience in a way that makes everyone feel very included; they are unpretentious and warm. We experienced a lot of delightful Quin banter on Thursday night, not only during the question-and-answer segment of the evening, but throughout the whole set. Sara’s insecurities were revealed and Tegan encouraged her sister not to be so self-deprecating, allowing the audience a glimpse of the special relationship the sisters share. The question-and-answer session covered many topics: from the spelling and misspelling of Tegan’s name, to Sara’s fears of dying in an aeroplane crash, to their favourite movies, and their obsessive (and sometimes scary) fans. To be a part of this event was very special, as it is the first time they have given a performance like this in Australia, and question-and-answer sessions of this style are a rare occurrence for this band.

The final segment of the show was a rock set, beginning with The Con, in my opinion one of their best songs. This set reminded the audience how talented Tegan and Sara are, both as songwriters, guitarists, and arrangers. On the louder songs their sound is powerful, with catchy guitar hooks and melodies that invite the audience to sing along. Highlights of this set included I Bet It Stung, Walking With A Ghost, So Jealous and Hop A Plane; the whole set was amazing, really. Toward the end of the set, during Where Does The Good Go, Tegan lead the audience in a sing along, challenging each section of the audience to sing louder than the last. Tegan and Sara closed their set, as they often do, with Living Room. There was no encore, but after two-and-a-half hours straight, the audience was more than satisfied. It was a special evening, spent with a band who has once again reminded Australian audiences how talented they are. The concert was one that audience members will remember for a long time.

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