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At his sold out concert last night in Sydney, Stevie Wonder proved to the full house why they paid the big bucks to see him live. As the lights dimmed and crowd erupted in joyous hysteria, Wonder was led out on stage accompanied by one of his back-up singers. His delightful presence on stage and charisma were unquestionable in their ability to hold the crowd’s attention – all this before he’d even uttered a word.
The man who has provided popular music with some of its most memorable and evergreen hits that have transcended generational gaps, delighted the audience with his musical abilities on the harmonica before dedicating the show to his long time friend Levi Strauss. After a very touching and emotional rendition of a Four Tops classic, Wonder leapt head first into a 2 hour set filled with his biggest hits (and some relative unknowns).
It was amazing to see the 58 year old perform with so much enthusiasm and humility. Accompanied by an exceptionally talented band, filled with guitars, drums and percussive brilliance, the audience were taken for a ride on the Stevie Soul Train. With such a great catalogue of songs to perform it wasn’t a surprise that there was more performing than talking. Though however brief, the interludes were filled with humour and a genuine appreciation for the moment. There were political endorsements throughout and a need to be more loving was the message of the night. Messages aside though, Wonder’s vocal abilities were overwhelming. His ability to hit a note, hold it and then stretch it back and forth, were just awe inspiring.
There really isn’t enough that can be said about his live performance. There aren’t enough quixotic adjectives to describe his musicality or his being. He is a man apart, with very few who can leave a packed arena as hungry for an encore set as he did last night.
Regardless of your musical preference or persuasion, Stevie Wonder will take you to a musical nirvana where only the mighty can perform and the loving connect.
Lupe Fiasco – The Cool (2007)
Relatively unknown by the mainstream populous within Australia, Lupe Fiasco has been the breakout hit within the hip hop/rap scene in the U.S. over the past few years. With the release of his second album, The Cool, Fiasco reconfirms his status of rap genius with clever lyricism which finds a delicate balance between social commentary and rap hysteria.
Produced with a clear flow of rhythm and a continuity within the subject matter, there is a strong paradox which is very endearing about this album. Not only does Fiasco touch upon matters relating to the “gentrification” of his neighbourhood in Chi-city, he layers his concerns with a general sense of rap cool. The desires which seem to plague most pop-rappers are indeed a part of this album, however it is in the intelligence of delivery and music composition that helps Fiasco set himself above his contemporaries.
Of course the immediate comparison seems to be with the ubiquitous Kanye West, whose chart topping singles and albums seem to be on a loop of their own on all radio stations. It is fair to say that the two are similar in their production qualities, with only their sensibilities setting them apart. Where West’s confidence is generally misappropriated as conceited behaviour, Fiasco’s confidence comes through as pure charm. In simpler terms, what West was to “College Dropout”, Fiasco is to “The Cool”.
If there is one rap album to familiarise yourself with this year make sure it’s this one. Not only will it provide as great listening, it will breathe fresh politics into what has become a very stale genre.
Nolan, who directed and co-wrote The Dark Knight, sets the pace of the film in the opening scenes as he slowly cultivates the audience’s attention to the various plots and characters of the film which, as they begin to develop, prove to be a lot grittier and human than any of their predecessors. The basis of the film still centres on the notion of good versus evil, though this time the evil lends itself to question more the psyche of the human condition than explain the cause of its malevolence.
Through carefully constructed and beautifully directed characters, Nolan showcases his immense talent for this genre. He has managed to bring Batman to a more adult audience whilst holding on to the childish need for adventure and explosions. To their credit all three leading men (Bale, Ledger and Eckhart) give award worthy performances. There is not a second in the film which wears thin on the audience whilst any one of these men are on screen. Eckhart and Ledger are stellar in their portrayals of the righteous D.A and the excitingly maniacal Joker. The Joker has to be the most stellar villain seen in any adaptation of a DC Comic. Ledger’s ability to not only maintain the unwavering psychotic nature of his character but create within it a dark sense of humour is mind blowing. The Joker is entertaining with all his external and mad exuberance, but it is in the quiet close-ups when his voice changes an octave and he is unmoving in front of the lens that the audience gets to see deep within the darkness of this amazing character.
Sadly though, not all of the leads prove to be as intense and wonderfully layered as the three guys. Maggie Gyllenhal, with all her fantastic Indie appeal, is unable to connect and deliver Rachel Dawes as a real character. The amateurish and somewhat lazy performance takes away from the fantastic developments of Dawes in this film. There is absolutely no chemistry between Gyllenhal and her fantastic co-stars which sadly leads to the conclusion that Katie Holmes should have reprised her role in this movie.
Apart from this minor glitch, which let’s face it is something one can entirely look past, Batman: The Dark Knight is a must see at the cinema at least once. It is by far the most satisfying film this year and only raises questions about how (if possible) Nolan will out do himself with the next instalment!
Following on from her previous record, Under the Rug Swept, Alanis Morissette is back in the mix with her latest instalment of self developmental lyrics on her new album Flavours of Entanglement. Flavours focuses on her brooding and melancholic state as she wills herself back to positivity after her very public split from ex fiancé. Though one would imagine this to be a great catalyst for the deeply emotional and self confessed “sensitive in a public crooner’s body” to deliver an album full of angst and feisty lyrics, Morissette instead delivers a strangely despondent and detached collection of songs.
Songs such as Citizen of the Planet and Versions of Violence are prime examples of why Morissette only scratches the surface of what used to be her niche musical market. The angry rock music and acutely sharp lyrics (which catapulted her to stardom and gave her an allegiance of fans) seem to be a distant memory that cannot be reproduced on this album
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At their inaugural performance last night at the Cat & Fiddle bar in Balmain, The Projectors started off with a shaky yet enticing number called “Steam Burn”. After this little stumble in the dark woods known as live performance, they regained their cool and delivered the rest of their original songs with the charisma of seasoned musicians.
The set list consisted of 9 songs which were not only delightfully composed but also exceptionally intelligent in their delivery. Written and performed by all four members of the band, the songs touched on various topics ranging from ladies who like to play with self pleasuring toys to beautiful love songs which explored the relationships between the external and the internal. In particular, songs such as “Matching Prada” and “Blown Away” showcased the wit and subtle irony with which their message is delivered. The two lead vocals were brilliant as they managed to maintain their pitch and woo the audience with mellow, harmonising tones. The tempo was upbeat throughout and created an atmosphere of sheer excitement.
The passion with which the band performed was not a rarity in itself but combined with their finesse and talent the performance evolved into an intimate arena tailored for mass appeal. The connection between the band and the audience was carefully constructed in the short intervals between songs and managed to perfection throughout the evening. In addition to their musical abilities, it helped that all four members Chris, Mark, Dale and Nick, were extremely enigmatic and charming. This of course left most of the ladies, if not a few of the gentlemen, begging for more. The set finished with a bang as “Spinnin’ You Around In My Head” culminated with Chris and Mark leaping off stage and dancing with the crowd
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On his 41st performance at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, which incidentally celebrated its 25th anniversary the same evening, Sir Elton John strode out on to stage in all his magnanimity. Surrounded by his band of session musicians, Elton John cut quite the Napoleonic figure as he sat down and revved up his piano. Opening with an instrumental piece, Elton John and his band displayed their talents and abilities with great pleasure. The opening song however proved to be more difficult to maintain as John seemed unable to control his vocal range and pitch. Settling in over the next few songs, he found his momentum in an extended and brilliant rendition of Rocket man. Other classics followed, interspersed with ballads from his musical version of Billy Elliot, which he is currently here to promote.
As phenomenal a pianist and vocalist as he is, there was a certain magic which was missing. Instead of seeing the boisterous, celebrity version of Elton John (as most have come to expect) we were served a stout man on the piano rushing through as much of his musical repertoire as possible.
The show was a long two and a half hour performance, during which there were very few words spoken or interaction with the mass audience. Perhaps it was this disconnection from the audience or even the lack lustre set that made it hard to carry the excitement from beginning to end. The proverbial ‘thorn in the side’ had to be when inspiration struck him he took the time to work his magic on the piano and gave glimpses of what must have been a musical genius. It was indeed a shame that this particular concert lacked the exuberance which one expected and so desperately wanted
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I could wax lyrical about their exceptional talent and presence on stage. I could also go on to say that they are by far the best rock group of their time. But I’d rather start off by saying that The Foo Fighters were never my favourite band, nor did I know the entire catalogue of their music, so seeing them in concert was just a fun night out.
All this has of course since changed
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