Hoodoo Gurus & The Dandy Warhols @ Belvoir Ampitheatre
Friday, September 23
After being rescheduled twice due to COVID, last Friday became the right time for Perth punters to celebrate the death-defying 40th anniversary of legendary Australian rock band Hoodoo Gurus. And the saying “good things come to those who wait” could not have been more applicable as the Gurus absolutely demolished.
In a two hour plus set that mixed new releases seamlessly in with the classics, the performance was a bundle of frenetic energy with expert showmanship that would leave most other bands, regardless of their age, in the Hoodoos’ wake.
But first, the Rinehearts took to the stage and if there was any trepidation about the weather forecast or the large amphitheatre still sparsely populated, there was no sign of nerves as they kicked off their set with Goodness. The original three piece band have recently added to their numbers with additional guitarist/vocalist and keyboards, Nici and Olga from Lonesome Dove, in the lead up to a new album next year.
With the charismatic frontman Ben Ward (guitar/vocals) welcoming the steady influx of punters, it took no time for the space in front of the stage to fill with dancers, appreciating the power pop sound as the band played songs from their back catalogue as well as the new single, the very catchy Powerlines. Finishing with I Don’t Mind, the Rinehearts no doubt have added to their fan base – great act to kick off the night.
Then it was the tour’s co-headliner, Portland’s arty alternative-rockers The Dandy Warhols’, turn to win over the crowd. And like the Gurus, the Dandys also seem to have found a fountain of youth, as they ran through a set of hits including Not If You Were the Last Junkie and We Used To Be Friends, with as much class and energy as they did when they first came to Perth at Metro in 2001.
Though the meditative rave-down of I Love You could have been considered a little too meandering, the indulgence was well worth it in exchange for the rousing heys of Get Off, which got the standing front rows grooving, and the sing-a-long wa-oohs of Bohemian Like You, that got those in the bleacher seats up and dancing.
Boys Better ended the set, with guitarist Peter Holmstrom, who was channelling his inner Emily in Paris in black bucket hat pulled down low over his eyes, seamlessly lifted the song in and out of sonic plains with his guitar effects, before Taylor-Taylor stepped to the mic with “Thank you Belvoir. We have been the Dandy Warhols” to cheers and hollers from the crowd.
And then, with only a short wait between acts, it was time for the Hoodoo Gurus to shake their tail feathers. The band set off with a blistering pace, running the gamut of their discography in adjacent songs, (something that recurred throughout the set), with the punk energy of (Let’s All) Turn On from the group’s 1984 debut leading into Answered Prayers off the group’s most recent outing Chariots of God.
The 1993 classic The Right Time was an early standout, as was early hit Tojo, which frontman Dave Faulkner introduced as “one I wrote a long time again, when I was 22 and in Belmont.” The country swagger of Death Defying produced the night’s first singalong – with the song’s response call of “ooh-we’s” sounded out loud and clear thanks to the venue’s great acoustics, which doubly went for the choruses of the new-wave sounding I Want You Back.
Faulkner then turned to Richard Grossman, resplendent in country and western shirt, announcing to the bass player it was “”time for the sweetness” before launching into the classic My Girl Don’t Love me, which was only rivalled by Come Anytime for the largest amount of swaying by the audience on the night.
Bittersweet was a blissful, magical moment, while Miss Freelove ‘69 took things to the next level, with even the big man upstairs seeming to agree, as a light rain began to fall around the amphitheatre in perfect timing with the song’s crescendo. From there, the group’s momentum only kept rising, with What’s My Scene and the rocking Like Wow Wipeout taking things to fever pitch.
But now came the final surprise, as the original members of le Hoodoo Gurus; Mark Kimble, James Baker and Rod Radal arrived on stage. Serving as back up vocals on the classic Leilani, this brought the whole thing full circle and was the perfect way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of Australia’s most iconic and enduring rock acts. And given the band don’t seem to have slowed down one bit, one can’t help but think that a Hoodoo Golden jubilee has a ring to it.
MICHAEL HOLLICK
Photos by Linda Dunjey
