Allphones Arena, Sydney
Thursday March 13, 2014 :
From the outset you got the feeling it was never going to be easy and the scales were at best a little unbalanced. On one hand you had an Australian icon loved by millions, on the other a visitor, be it a superstar but he was a visitor.
Farnham opened the innings with a 1.5 hour show that was worthy of the main spot on the program. Lead by an impressive 10 piece band including veterans Chong Lim and Lindsay Field, Farnham took the stage blasting out ‘Age of Reason’ like you were listening to it in your lounge room. The audience may not have noticed much difference compared to a few years ago but Farnham sure did – “I’m bloody rooted” he gasped after the first two songs. Underwear was thrown including a warm bra, “I might be 65 but I am not dead” was one of his many comments.
The hits came quick and fast including ‘Every Time You Cry’, ‘Touch of Paradise’ and the classic ‘That’s Freedom’ featuring Lindsay Field on acoustic guitar. “Don’t worry it’s not another bloody comeback”, gave way to a synchronized laugh from the audience. The much too brief show concluded with ‘You’re the Voice’ complete with Scottish band. An encore saw Farnham belt out the AC/DC classic ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top’. Come back or not, on his own terms you can only hope Farnham hangs around for a long time to come. A true Australian music genius.
Following a long break of about 45 minutes, the audience was expected to ramp it up again. To be honest it was going to take something special mid-week in Sydney. Dressed in all black, Ritchie hit the stage with “Are you ready, Sydney?”, starting with ‘Just For You’ before launching promptly into ‘Penny Lover’. The audience was responsive and in between multiple drinks, Ritchie entertained the crowd. His catalogue on paper is impressive and in fairness, he gave the audience a fair share including ‘Three Times a Lady’, ‘Ballerina Girl’ and ‘Sail On’. For a moment, Ritchie teased the audience with a reference to Diana Ross, “no she is not here, so we are going to sing this together”. The song was dedicated to a couple near the front. The guy had earlier proposed to his girlfriend whist attending a meet and greet with the man, something definitely for the memories.
Ritchie had a few goes at getting the audience on their feet, falling significantly shorter than the 13000 plus aerobic workout Farnham gave them. Ritchie too has a voice that has lasted time, smooth as silk and pitch perfect. A final attempt to get people up with hits including ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’, ‘Hello’ and ‘All Night Long’ fell short as evidenced by the masses leaving the arena securing a prompt exit from the capacity carpark. Overall a tale of two musical marvels – one on the night delivered way beyond his 65 years, the other a distant second.
Reviewer and Photographer: David Jackson
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