Last Saturday, post-punk royalty packed out The Fortitude Music Hall. The The were in town for two nights in a row and this was show numero uno (23 November).
Set one starts out with the first track from their latest album, 'Ensoulment', and the first in 26 years; the track is 'Cognitive Dissident' that pushes off with a satirical undertone.As Matt Johnson, the OG and core of the band, explained, they're playing support and headliner tonight. I'd say it's more like a two for one deal in reverse, LOL!
Fans cheers on as Johnson craftily lets slide 'Some Days I Drink My Coffee By The Grave Of William Blake'. He apparently did just that, and yes that is the name of the song!
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
The backdrop curtain has a shadow dancer behind, the feminine form oscillating between a dark and lit silhouette as we get into the swing of 'Zen & The Art Of Dating' toing and froing as Johnson sings about online dating, before taking us into the political-lyrical arena of his unchanged observance of the state of play with 'Kissing The Ring Of POTUS'.
It becomes evident the new album is being played in order as 'Life After Life', 'I Want To Wake Up With You', 'Down By The Frozen River' and 'Risin' Above The Need' arrive ahead of the sinister vibe that envelopes us as they play 'Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot'.
On the back of that, the rich blend of guitars and vocals get your attention on 'Where Do We Go When We Die?'. It is simply gorgeous. 'I Hope You Remember (The Things I Can't Forget)' is played before the final song 'A Rainy Day In May'.
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
From the resounding applause, I think it's a fair call to say fans clicked with this first set. The chill vibes, jazzy interludes and trippy side steps that added the occasional embellishment to the blues-tainted rock feels went down like a welcome shot of whiskey. I'm one of the crowd who didn't have much exposure to 'Ensoulment' and I am glad, as hearing it live has given it a boost up the playlist.
After a short break, the majority of the room were geared up and charged for the tunes they have been waiting aeons to hear live.
Johnson leads this retrospective set with an ace. A banger that brings all the fans to vocally unite; 'Infected', the title track of their 1986 album. The fan choir is reverberating off the inner walls of the venue: "I can't give you up, till I've got more than enough, so infect me with your love."
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Up next, and keeping the energy high, with a sweet intro (IYKYK) is Johnson's prophetic 'Armageddon Days Are Here (Again)' and 'The Sinking Feeling' follows.
Johnson tells us they'll play another from the 'Infected' album; one he tells us was the first song written for the album, and that he recalls writing it with a pencil and a rubber (not sure the last time I sharpened a pencil myself!), 'Heartland'.
The lyrics paint a picture of Britain dealing with inequality, run-down cinemas and a growing gap between the haves and have-nots. Fast forward to 2024 as I join Johnson and the fans singing "this is the land where nothing changes," I can't help but think he wasn't far off, was he? 'The Whisperers' lets DC Collard shine as he gives us a good dose of electrifying keyboard – so good!
'Love Is Stronger Than Death' sees the dancing silhouette behind the backdrop replaced with a faint projection of a stained-glass window followed by 'August & September', a song Johnson says was penned in a hotel room in Greece following an initial relationship break-up as he points out the power of alchemy or creativity being able to take pain and wrestle it into something beautiful. Well, I can tell you the mouth harp from DC is exquisitely haunting and beautiful.
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Johnson hypes the crowd up pitching city against city, telling us he thinks Brisbane will beat Atlanta as we sing-along to a different version of 'Slow Emotion Replay'. Punters are singing with Johnson again: "Everybody knows what's going wrong with the world. I don't even know what's going on in myself," while more delicious melancholic harmonica invades our ears behind Johnson's recollections.
Writing the song at age 20, Johnson really didn't know where 'This Is The Day' would end up. Apparently it got legs and has walked through the lives and memories of millions. A blue sky appears behind the band and fans are singing while cuddling partners or their memories.
The treasure chest of hits keeps coming with 'Icing Up' that has Chris Whitten taxing the tubs; one of my favourites, bluesy 'Dogs Of Lust' which has DC front of stage giving up some dusty mouth harp, before we relish in yet another from 'Infected', 'Sweet Bird Of Truth'.
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
Ending the set with the timeless 'Lonely Planet' punters are quick to chime in – "if you can't change the world, change yourself," – and as this moment unfolds the band and fans are united by the truth of the words: 'The world's too big, and life's too short, to be alone," that are amplified so much it gives undeniable feels with goosebumps on top.
Fans do not leave without an encore and the claps and ooh-oohing gets the band back onstage. Johnson tells us he's sorry it has taken so long to come back to Australia and that we are a wonderful audience that gets cheer.
After explaining how long the sets are and they're doing four shows on the trot we get formally introduced to bassist James Eller and Whitten who gets a roar from the crowd, then DC Collard who also gets cheers but some "boos" I think for sh.ts and giggles it would seem, before guitarist Barrie Cadogan – who's been an unassuming maestro on his axes (yes quite a few guitar changes) all night.
We're told the night will end with two songs from their 1983 debut album 'Soul Mining'. The first is a song he wrote as a teenager with an obsessive infatuation with girls – 'Uncertain Smile' with keys taking the limelight as fans cut shapes and shake imaginary shoulder pads, ha!
Next the stage is bathed in red and we're told there can only be one song that can follow – fans clap up a storm and I agree, Whitten couldn't have ended with anything bigger than his thunderous thrashing in 'Giant'!
The The - image © Clea-marie Thorne
A colossal night of magical music and faultless musicianship. Even to my admittedly untrained ears, it was flawless. Every single band member brought relentless energy from start to finish – it was unreal.
Get this: they just crushed the third show of a four-night run with a 27-song set list! The energy of every band member has been unwavering. My mind is blown. Seriously, hats off to The The – I'm beyond impressed.
As the lights come up, it hits me; Matt Johnson isn't just digging into the past or hyping a long-awaited album – he's proving, right here and now, why he's still an unstoppable force in music. Honestly, tonight feels like it is a chapter in a story he's nowhere close to finishing.
More photos from the concert.
