Late in the set as they are winding down, Cowboy Junkies singer Margo Timmins comments: "I guess why you're here is because you like sad songs. We have two happy songs in our repertoire. We haven't played them in a long time."
Given the performances before and after this aside, perhaps they should have led with that.During the ambient intro to their first song, Margo sways, wordlessly vocalising and then there are cries of recognition from the audience as the song properly begins.
'Sweet Jane' may be what Cowboy Junkies are most well known for; not exactly a millstone around their collective neck but ultimately it is their song, one which they have made their own as much as any of their originals that followed.
While most bands would perhaps leave one of their better known songs for later, it is an interesting choice with which to commence, and perfect in setting the scene for the evening – a significant portion of their set consisting of covers, tributes to their influences and forebears.
For the entire show, older brother Michael Timmins remains seated mostly hunched over his guitar, side on to the audience, his back to some. Behind him Jeff Bird plays an array of instruments – percussion, slide guitar and harmonica, while his mandolin playing is notable.
The rhythm section of younger brother Peter Timmins on drums and Alan Anton on bass fill out the band.
A couple of songs in, Margo acknowledges the band's long absence from our shores: "It's taken us 20 years to get here," and then jokes: "We're going to do what we always do – try to sell records."
'All That Reckoning' is an exercise in restraint, the clearest Margo's voice has been to this point, accompanied initially only by Michael's electric guitar before they follow with 'Missing Children' during which Michael plays a growling wah-wah.
Before 'Shining Moon', Margo shares an anecdote about their early days collecting and using discarded mattresses for soundproofing. David Bowie's 'Five Years' rounds off this first shorter set, and as the song builds Margo competes with the instrumentation, projecting her voice more than before.
After a break, there are a few moments of audience chatter during the funky intro 'Little Basquiat' before they realise the band have recommenced. This song, demonstrative of the band's versatility, is the most significant stylistic departure from the rest of the set, Jeff Bird adding indecipherable vocal interjections while Margo makes eye contact and sings directly to individuals among the audience.
With 'Dreaming My Dreams With You' the band return to a laidback country style before the contrasting loose, near instrumental 'I'm Working On A Building' during which Margo's vocals are buried amongst the instrumentation.
The band extend the performance into an almost Doors-like epic, and latterly Margo doesn't even sing into the microphone, paraphrasing 'The Lord's Prayer'.
The rhythm section of Alan and Peter depart the stage for Margo, Michael and Peter to perform acoustically 'Black Eyed Man', and interpretations of Neil Young's 'Powderfinger' and Townes Van Zandt's 'Rake'.
When the band reconvenes, they play one of their own better known songs, 'A Common Disaster' before the somnambulistic 'Postcard Blues'.
By the last song of this set, 'Misguided Angels' (with some in the audience singing along), the illness that has plagued Margo for this tour gets the better of her and she loses her voice momentarily, and has to repeat the last line of the song.
For an encore, Cowboy Junkies return to perform a couple of their earliest recorded songs. Margo requests the use of The Gov's mirror ball and during their performance of 'Blue Moon Revisited' it is lit purple.
'Walking After Midnight' completes an exceptional evening; their first appearance in Adelaide in nearly a quarter century, already too long even before the advent of global happenings in recent years.
