Violinist Warren Ellis has hocked up phlegm and spat it across the stage.
"I think I might have a Strepsil habit by the end of this tour," he deadpanned. Warren's voice was worse for wear, breaking during his rambling monologues and requesting spit buckets be brought out for him. He also mentioned hurting his foot during the Adelaide show, and learning at the radiographer's office that he may have gout.The Dirty Three have performed together for over 30 years, yet the band aren't "full of f...ing speed and Foster's lager" anymore. After a five-year absence from live stages, and 12 years since they last performed in Brisbane, the instrumental trio have reconvened to tour their ninth album, 'Love Changes Everything'.
However, what the band has gained in age their performances have lost none of their power. While Warren battled his sickness, a sold-out crowd inside Brisbane's The Tivoli (28 June) were mesmerised by the long-awaited return of what may be Australia's greatest live band.
Over the years, the three members have collaborated with an extraordinary number of artists. Opening their show was singer Eleanor Jawurlngali, with whom guitarist Mick Turner has worked.
Eleanor Jawurlngali - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Originating from the remote Northern Territory town of Marlinja, the Mudburra and Garrawa woman was joined onstage by cellist Stephanie Arnold.
Together, the duo performed a sparse, restrained set, Stephanie's cello moaning sweetly while Eleanor's low voice sang in language, her fish-netted hands dancing in the air in front of her.
"Alright, you've got to clap," Eleanor told the crowd as a bassline looped over the speakers. The crowd's initial effort was off-rhythm, making Eleanor burst out with laughter. "What was that?!" she laughed.
Once the crowd's clapping aligned, Eleanor moaned Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman'. She approached the front of the stage and held her mic out to the crowd, commanding them in a back-and-forth of the word 'power'. The crowd mustered all their might to sing back, but Eleanor's powerful voice effortlessly pushed that power higher.
"Thank you, Brisbane, for giving a sh.t," Warren Ellis told the crowd after strutting to the Dirty Three's walk-on music, Boz Scaggs' 'Lido Shuffle'. "Let's kickstart this, Mick Turner!"
Dirty Three - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Mick's guitar growled low at the opening of a suite of songs from the band's new album, 'Love Changes Everything'. Steadily, Jim White's drums boomed becoming furious as his limbs stretched towards his cymbals.
Warren's violin sang sweetly above the noise. Broken hairs drifted in the air from his bow as he wandered across the stage and back, his voice hoarsely howling during violin’s pauses.
Jim's drums slowed, Mick whispered shivering notes. With this new movement in the suite, Warren sat at his piano and played a melancholy melody. It's an unusual sight to see Warren seated instead of stalking the stage, but his delicate playing grew in intensity, and he bounced out of his chair as he bashed his keys.
Dirty Three - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Between songs, Warren's rambles entertained the crowd. The crowd learnt about his failures at marriage counselling, and he dedicated 'Sea Above, Sky Below' to the recently passed engineer of that song, Steve Albini.
The crowd was also treated to a long monologue about Warren teaming up with Jonathan Richman to swim across the "Brisbane ocean" to murder Billy Joel with forks, underscored by his bandmates' extended intro for 'Everything Is F...ed'.
The crowd was also treated to musical history, as Warren recounted the band's first visit to Brisbane playing at Ric’s Bar "last century" in 1992. "Was anyone there?" he asked.
"[Valve Records owner and Regurgitator manager] Paul Curtis was there. He brought us up because he heard a little cassette we put out and he had a broken heart, poor Paul.
"He drove around listening to our cassette and decided he would bring this funny little band from Melbourne up to play and heal his broken heart."
Dirty Three - image © Clea-marie Thorne
It's a moment that showed just how important these small venues are – especially poignant as many are closing due to rising costs. Without them, the manic glory of Dirty Three wouldn't have had a chance.
The crowd were completely under the band's spell. The mass of people gathered close to witness the magic, which unfortunately made it impossible to see Jim White's furious drumming – a sight worth seeing.
As Mick stood still and focussed on his guitar, Warren's unleashed mayhem was the visual focal point. He strangled his violin, shaking it and making it shriek feedback. Often, he'd jump down and play at the stage barrier, or he'd leap up on Jim's bass drum and wildly shake his beard and mane.
Dirty Three - image © Clea-marie Thorne
It's a herculean effort to maintain this level of intensity for nearly three hours, even more so when you're ill, but that's part of the magic of witnessing a Dirty Three performance – seeing three musicians wrestle with the overwhelming ecstasy they've created. Hopefully it won't be long before that magic returns.
More photos from the concert.
