I don’t like being critical of artists; it’s just not my bag. I consider artists the most important people on earth, so I'm not about to go into an insane, tabloid ‘journalist’ valence anytime soon.
But, I am going to say this was the second time I have seen The Gaslight Anthem live on stage. And, to be honest, I wasn’t overly impressed the first time. This year I wanted to give them a second chance to get me with their Jersey pop-punkiness. Although the performance (The Forum on 3 February) was better, again, it just didn’t hit the sweet spot for me.
Brian Fallon (vocalist) walked on stage with his sombre team members in tow and launched into 'The '59 Sound' closely followed by 'Wooderson' and '45'. It was a good mash of sound which was technically well played, for this type of music, but the whole kit was lacking something. The lights were fine, the mix was spot on, the venue was full and the girls were smiling as they watched in awe their pin-up boys doing their thing… It was all there… But, something just wasn't working for me.
Click here for photos from the show.
After walking outside The Forum several times to re-adjust and try to figure out what was missing, I decided to put it down to good old "on the night, tour blues”. But, now that I’m back at my office looking through their tour calendar, I find GA have a long way yet to go to finish this tour. They are booked back to back till June across the US and Canada. So it couldn’t be tour blues, not this early on.
Perhaps I was the oddball on the night, the misfit, the bohemian. Maybe the woes of my day were clouding the reality of things. Maybe I’ve been been overly critical while writing this gonzo piece, something I don’t usually do. But this was my experience on the night, and it’s my job to communicate what I see and feel, even if it's not what I wanted it to be.
The Gaslight Anthem - Image © Carl NeumannDon’t get me wrong, they are a good band, they are good musicians and they can sing. And, if you are a fan you probably would have liked it. But it just didn’t affect me as the records do, and that’s what I was after; hence the second chance.
The Gaslight Anthem setlist at The Forum, Melbourne, 3 February:
The '59 SoundWooderson
45
Handwritten
1,000 Years
The Spirit Of Jazz
Stay Lucky
Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
Red In The Morning
I'da Called You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny And The Radio
Great Expectations
Meet Me By The River's Edge
Red Violins
Here Comes My Man
Mulholland Drive
Old Haunts
We Came To Dance
Red At Night
1930
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Sweet Morphine
I Coul'da Been A Contender
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
We're Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner
