The Go Betweens - On the island at last
Throughout their twenty-seven year career, The Go-Betweens never played a concert in Tasmania until now. Fans have had to wait all that time to hear their particular style of energetic pop and they certainly weren’t let down by the performance they gave.
It was a strange setting to see such a performance, the majestic formality of the Theatre Royal was not confined to the carpet and staircase, one had to be ushered to the designated seat and standing was frowned upon as a ‘fire hazard’. Of course, if there was to be no standing, there was to be no dancing, yet throughout the gig a steady thump and rumble could be felt through the seats; you can’t keep a good fan down.
It all started with Grant McLennan alone on stage performing one of his solo songs, Black Mule, giving the crowd a beautiful showcase of McLennan’s individual style and making the show more than just The Go-Betweens. McLennan was then joined by co-founder Robert Forster for a rendition of an older tune, the Dylanesque Clouds.
It was then time for the two men to be joined by bass player Adele Pickvance and drummer Glenn Thompson, their backing musicians from the previous three albums and countless worldwide concerts. Both musicians have extensive on-stage experience and provide the Go-Betweens with an energetic and exuberant edge. Pickvance provided excellent supporting vocals and Thompson added extra jiggyness by using a maraca alongside one of his drumsticks and they both seemed to relish the opportunity of playing alongside two such talented and enduring artists.
The band played through a thorough selection from their career, with a strong emphasis on recent releases. Particular highlights for me were the extended jammy versions of Spring Rain and Draining The Pool For You; neither sounded tired nor spent, each having evolved masterfully from their already brilliant original form.
Then came a surprising, and somewhat contrived, temporary end to the gig, to which the crowd reacted in the only way they could; cheering until the band returned. One wonders what would have happened if they hadn’t. From here it continued just as it had started, with McLennan and Forster together on-stage for a pair of folkier tracks before the other two returned to start the journey home. Part of this journey was the band returning to something resembling it’s beginnings in the late 70s, with McLennan on bass and Forster as the sole front man, to play a great version of their second ever single, People Say.
And yeah, they played Cattle and Cane, and yeah it was great.
The on-stage interaction between Forster and McLennan seemed to say a lot about the relationship between the two men. Their essential difference was evident merely from their clothes, McLennan in casual T and jeans, Forster in a dark suit, but any clichés that could be derived from this were shattered by their behaviour.
Forster was the goofy, irreverent prankster, singing about surfing, and McLennan was his deep introspective and moody counterbalance. Forster was at his goofiest when McLennan was in charge of the microphone, displaying a level of cocky and cheeky petulance, all of which contributed to the appeal of watching such a long-term musical partnership.
Behind all these antics was an evident amount of respect each head of the Amphisbaena had for the other, it was if they really knew how much they truly needed each other to fully realise their own individual extensive talent.
If there was any kind of downside to this gig it was that they sounded somewhat staid and formulaic. However, this may not be such a sleight on the band themselves as the genre in which they operate. They do simple, catchy pop which is profound and spiritual when heard alone in ones bedroom, so maybe there’s a limit to what this kind of thing can do at a live concert.
Nevertheless, people flooded out of the theatre grinning from arse to elbow, and I can easily believe that the band has been leaving people this way, all wet and satisfied, throughout the world. Oh yeah, and they promised they would return…soon.
