Kicking off their Singles Tour at Melbourne’s iconic Forum Theatre The Church delivered a career retrospective two set show delivering twenty-two singles from the bands beginning in 1980 up until today. Forty-five years of music intertwined with stories behind the songs and of course the songs themselves that made the band not only household names in Australia but across the globe. It’s hard to comprehend the impact of this band, constantly evolving and doing things their way has always been a hallmark of this band. Steve Kilby had a vision for this band and well the rest is history. They have been labelled as post punk, dream pop, new wave, neo-psychedelic and alternative, this alone shows the diversity, complexity and of musical genius that is this band and their back catalogue. However you want to classify them, they have such a brightly coloured musical trip for a career.
What better way to celebrate their legacy than with a tour like this.
Looking at tonight’s crowd, they were across generations, fans from day one to twenty somethings. For a band that has marched to its own beat, did things their way and flirted with commercial success along the way creating some of this country’s most beloved radio songs and band room anthems they have always been considered sightly left of centre.
A career as enduring, artistic and creative as The Church’s defines that their music has a magic to it, an appeal and a connection for so many. In some ways it would have made sense that this was an outing of pure nostalgia, tonight was far from that. Witnessing a packed to the brim Forum Theatre for this sold-out show was something to behold and something much bigger than that as an experience.
I’m no stranger to The Church live, I have seen them many times throughout their career. It’s hard to describe the feeling that I walk away with after each show. I feel connected to the music and a part of that connection is most definitely nostalgi. Being able to put these songs to a time, a place and a memory is so personal and still so unique for everyone.
While the stories while stay the same within the music, the tales between the songs just connect everything together. Perhaps I hadn’t paid as much attention to the between song stories before focussing on immersing myself in the music. Tonight, Steve Kilbey was super chatty with some incredible stories from the history of the band, their vision and the songs themselves delivered in his own charmingly witty way.
Sonically the band sound incredible from the onset ‘Columbus’ from 1986’s “Heyday” was full of life and lushness. The band are most definitely on fire tonight. Those echoed guitar parts simply sing so sweetly beneath Kilbey’s vocals.
A welcoming address to the audience of “Good Evening, look it’s a standing ovation already” set the tone for Kilbeys dialogue tonight as being playful. Spirits are definitely high tonight. “ Thank you so much, we appreciate you so much, waiting in the rain while we were swanning around talking to models and snorting coke”. Kilbey continues with “So you like singles do you? …… superficial bastards” he cheekily slings out. “We have a really singly, singular single for you now, this one is called the “Electric Lash”.
That dreamy lullaby intro takes into art pop territory which showcases some of that early brilliance. The deliver of the solo is on point and Ashley Naylor’s tone is pure bliss. The crowds cheers are electrifying and loud this is simply a magical atmosphere.
“It’s great to be back here at the Forum” states Kilbey, “Look, there’s a statue of Malcolm Fraser up there” addressing the beautiful architecture of this stunning venue”.
“Talking of singles, does anyone remember our double single? Did you ever hear about that, the double single? I wanted to have two records in the charts at once, but I got no records in the charts” states Kilbey to laughter from the crowd. The song is ‘Tear It All Away’ with it’s silky, timeless bass line sits beautifully inside the melody. Pure post punk pop perfection.
This now sees up jump from the 80’s into 2022 with ‘The Hypnogogue’ it’s swirling structure is hypnotising and the production elevates this song to another state.
The story that preludes ‘The Unguarded Moment” is worth the price of admission alone. This song was the one that introduced me to the band and as Kilbey said “You know you were 12 and watching Countdown in your pyjamas when you first heard this one”. For me I was 10 and that’s close enough I guess. Yes I can still remember it and the urgency in which I had to purchase this single. Some call it nostalgia, I call it a time stamp in life, I still remember everything about that moment perfectly. The delivery is flawless and gets the biggest reaction of the night to date. At forty-four it’s still as fresh as the first time I heard it.
The next dive songs dive, move and weave through all four decades of their career and proves the consistency in which the band write songs. Each of these songs build a story and takes you from experimental into commercial and through everything in between. For me it’s hearing how “Block” and “Realm Of Minor Angels” sits among three of the band finest songs that should have been all over the radio and still be there to this very day. It’s the creative vision that Kilbey has that is the common undeniable thread.
Concluding the first set I sit with what I have just experienced, the flow, the influence and the style of this band really can’t be compared to another. You begin to understand the artist roots and vision. I found traces of David Bowie, Roxy Music, T-Rex, Talking Heads influence and even a hint of Lou Reed in those early songs.
After a 15 min interval, the band returns and immediately kick into ‘Almost With You’ for the brilliant “Blurred Crusade” album, this has voices around the theatre in fine form, louder than the band at times. It’s with this song that the Lou Reed comparison comes into play again, that staccato nearly spoken delivery of the verses are magic. The solo is a song within itself, melodic and anthemic in many ways and delivered with so much feel.
The new wave guitar echo of “When You Were Mine” building into the chord driven power of the guts of the song is something that I feel band like The Cult borrowed from in their sound on the “Dreamtime’ album. It wouldn’t have been out of place in their set. The slightly snotty punk inspired deliver of the verses is incredible. I had forgotten just how much I love this song. The breakdown allows for the crowd to clap in unison with the kick drum. Just magical, raw and powerful.
An introduction to the band follows. Kilbey introduces Ian Haug, he’s from Queensland, he has been the lead guitarist in the band for thirteen years. Where has that time gone? As he launches into Iggy Pop’s ‘Passenger’ which Kilbey sings a few lines from. Next on the other lead guitar, he’s from Melbourne, he’s only been in the band for six years, Ashley Naylor. It seems like you joined yesterday Kilbey continues. Ladies & Gentlemen from Rainbow Beach, wherever the f*ck that is, is subbing in for Jeffrey Cain who can’t be here due to illness and doing a wonderful job on guitar and keyboards is Cameron MacKenzie. I needed to get a guy in the band that was younger, you know someone my own age. He is from NSW, he is on the drums, Mr. Nicholas Meredith. This next guy has only been in the band thirty-three years, he is the only one that could put up with me when the other ones left, Mr. Timothy Guy Gerrad Powles on percussion and keys. The respect and admiration in which this is delivered is magical, there is a magic that lights up Kilbey during this.
With all of that said, this band is simply perfect Haug and Naylor complement each other so well and have completely different feel and approached to guitar and in this setting are sublime. The way they weave in and out of their respective parts really does give something special to the way these songs are played. Meredith as a drummer a perfect fit, he seats himself so perfectly behind Kilbey’s bass lines and accentuates the melodic mayhem around him perfectly. Powles finesse to the songs structures and sound are a perfectly delivered and placed. MacKenzie fits so well and his parts just add that extra depth to the soundscape. As for Mr. Kilbey himself, vocally he is incredible, his bass lines are a huge part of what makes this collection of songs so unique. He is the one piece of this band that could never be replicate by another. As a whole they are so damn precise, I don’t think I have heard the band sound this good period.
I must admit again I found myself soaking in everything that is this show and performance. The way the lighting adds mood to the songs as we swirl through more of this incredible library of songs. This would have to be the best recreation of an old school light show in the modern era, full of brilliant colour and movement. The compliment is on point.
It’s not until we reach ‘Under The Milky Way’ that my awareness moves back to the audience, the theatre full of mobile phone lights that create our own milky way. Voices are strong from the audience and the hairs stood on my arms. The beauty in this song is ageless. The singalong is pure bliss.
Kilbey again addresses the audience with a deep sincere thank you to all for coming to the show. There is an authenticity in which this is said. I can only imagine what this means to a forty-five-year career, being as revered as it is. It’s announced that they are back in February. It’s at this point the casual hits only fans start to leave to which Kilbey addresses them with “Goodbye, see ya, bye …. f*cking philistines” with a grin on his face as the crowd laughs along. It’s all in gest but clearly some didn’t get the memo that is was the singles and not the hits. They came, stayed for the best part of 2 hours so in all honesty that’s OK.
Closing the set is ‘Tantalized’ and we have come full circle with tracks from “Heyday” opening and closing the show. This song just has something about it, the whole album that houses it is incredible, but live it’s the perfect bookend of these two sets.
The band takes a bow and exits the stage only to return after the deafening cheers from the crowd and launch into their latest sing ‘Sacred Echo’s (Part 2)’ which is an atmospheric, powerful and artistic musical journey that has me anticipating more music from them. The final song ‘Space Saviour’ when paired with new single seems to have a rebirth of sorts, I remember the studio version differently but admit to not having heard it for quite some time. It sits so well with the new tune. My only miss for the night was the exclusion of ‘She Never Said’ from the set. Maybe the February encore show will set this right.
All in all, this show is nothing short of a magical experience. I knew it would be good, but this is The Church on top of their game.
Aside for being musically elite this performance was only enhanced by the stories though out this set that had you in fits of laughter, Kilbeys dry humour is on point, his story telling immaculate and there were many more than I have shared, but I won’t ruin that for anyone as it is a part of the experience of this show.
Tonight was a celebration of a legacy that is continuing to grow. The musicianship upon that stage was nothing short of immense and the songs whether they be the radio hits or the songs that should have been radio hits and everything in between highlights that The Church are one of this country’s most important bands. Those early works are simply timeless, pieces of audible art that will forever capture minds and ears for decades to come. The fact that we get to see a performance of this calibre forty-five years from inception is a gift and one that should not be taken for granted or missed. This show is bundle of perfection, the performance, the presence and the stage show all create something that hits the right way. The Church’s “The Singles Collection Tour” is a journey of memories and discovery and I will be back for another round next year without fail.
Setlist :
Set 1 – Columbus, Electric Lash, Tear It All Away, The Hypnogogue, Unguarded Moment, Block, Metropolis, It’s No Reason, Realm Of Minor Angels, Reptile
Set 2 – Almost With You, When You Were Mine, Ripple, Destination, Constant, Another Century, Already Yesterday, Numbers, Under the Milky Way, Tantalized
Encore – Sacred Echoes (Part 2), Space Saviour
Gallery :
With thanks to Metropolis Touring for the media Accreditation
All image credits Shot by Slaidins Photography
