The Coffs Harbour Gigs

For me, these gigs, although at the same location, were two quite different evenings from the aspect of the entertainment factor. The Friday night was a little disappointing but the Saturday night made up for it in spades!

As Carol mentioned in her report, the thump-thump music from the adjoining room's disco was a distraction and a pain-in-the-ass for both the performers and the audience. Cap that with the problems the guys encountered with the accoustics and it made for one of those nights where you know it just ain't gonna be as good as it gets. The final encore was cut short (no Jock Stewart or Molly Malone alas.) I got to pondering this and came to the conclusion that we fans who travel to see a lot of the gigs are actually quite spoiled. We get so know and become familiar with just how good these guys can be when they're "on" and can become a bit disgruntled (pardon the pun!) when we see a gig that does not reach the standard that we know this band is capable of. I mean, for someone walking in off the street, seeing the band for the first time, Friday night's gig would probably have been a great experience for them and a good introduction to the band's music. They wouldn't miss all the little intricacies and subtleties that "we" do. I guess that's the price we pay for our in-depth knowledge and experience of just how entertaining and musically tight these guys can be........ hell - we're a demanding bunch, huh? *grin*

But Saturday's gig was one of the best I've been to (and I've been to quite a few.....) With the external distractions removed and the accoustics problems solved (I bet Marty's ass was red raw from Russell's boot!!) the guys just gave us a powerhouse performance. And the vibe we (the front row faithful) picked up, was one of "this is gonna be one helluva fun evening" from the off. And were we not just right on the money there!

With the air-conditioning functioning properly this time and with the added prop of the front of stage barrier to lean against (I was in the second row on Friday - no support for my aching feet!) this was a much more comfortable experience for me. Terrific view of all the guys in the band (couldn't see much of Dave Kelly the previous night which was a real pity. Seeing Dave really get into those drum solos, eyes closed, face a picture of concentration...... too cool.)

A word on the opening acts (and as we regulars know there have been many weird and wonderful openers for TOFOG over the years!) Darren is surely growing on me. It was cute to see him sit by the edge of the stage, bent over in concentration, psyching himself up, minutes before coming on to perform. He is a talented guy who has a good voice as well as future in stand-up comedy should he ever choose to go down that route. And Felicity Urquhart....... wow. This gal is the business. I was truly impressed. Powerful voice, bags of personality...... Russell sure has a great opportunity for a terrific collaborative experience ahead of him at Tamworth later this month.

The playfulness and camaraderie between the guys was apparent from the beginning. Stewie's nightly ordeal was re-introduced - a drink balanced on his head which I was sure was going to topple, but no. His trumpet solos alone are worth the price of admission but when added to Stu's beautiful keyboard magic and Bones' rich addition on the bass, we get more than our money's worth for sure. Deano on lead guitar never disappoints (What You Want Me To Forget is just awesome) but the recent addition of his singing prowess on Jock Stewart and Mr. Harris is an added bonus. It's good to see him and Alan having a giggle and a smile while sharing a mic together. Dean tells me he was a Great Big Sea fan long before Alan joined the band and that he has a lot of respect for him as a musician. I would hazard a guess that that respect is now mutual after Alan has experienced playing alongside The Reverend for some time now. And speaking of Alan - is there nothing that man can't do with his eyebrows?? He can wiggle them in inumerable different ways! LOL!! He reminds me somewhat of a little devil ha! ha! Very enertaining to watch his facial expressions when he is just so into the music that he gets lost in it. And what a voice. I take my hat off to him there.

And talking of facial expressions...... now that the "oral ditty" appears to be becoming a staple intro to Swept Away Bayou....... our view of the guys' faces when they sing this one is priceless!! Talk about trying to avoid eye-contact at all costs. *grin* (I confess I'd be hard pressed - no pun intended - to hold a gaze while singing along to that one!) It's all good fun and the boys' amusement and glee is highly entertaining to witness.

Russell's voice and abilities as lead singer in this band continue to improve. They say practice makes perfect. Well he may not be perfect yet but he sure as hell appears to be working his socks off to give it his all and the results are evident to see. The harmonies are working really well and even in the slower ballads he's holding pitch and key better than he ever did. The obvious emotion he pours into these songs (and you can see it clearly when he really gets into these songs) is part of what makes it, at least for me, a privilege to watch him perform in person - and what makes it well worth the effort of travelling to multiple gigs. I love the CD of course, but nothing makes up for seeing these guys live. If you can possibly attend even one live gig - don't miss it.

Having said all that good stuff about our boy, I now have to bring him back down to earth (ha! ha!) by mentioning the fluffed lyrics. Part of the charm of a TOFOG gig is the fluffed lyrics. He can laugh about it and we (who know the goddamn lyrics better than he does) can laugh about it. Most of the audieince are non the wiser. But I bet the guys ragged him no end!! Fortunately Alan helped him out during Things Have Got To change while we all just cracked up. Like I said, this was one entertaining gig! (And talking of Things Have Got To Change, it's now apparently as per the set-list, called Things Are Gonna Change. Maybe an apology in there someplace......)

Then of course we had the joy and privilege of being the first to hear Russell's public announcement of his pending happy event. He told us that he'd finally been given the OK by Dani to share the news with us. As Russell was coming off stage I briefly had a moment to give him my congratulations in person and he was as happy as a kid in a candy store. It was a sweet and charming moment. Deja-vu in fact for me. I was also in Coffs the when I first heard of Charlie's imminent arrival too. Here's to a smooth and trouble-free time for Dani this go around. (Then Russell might just have a cat in hell's chance of number three!)

Happily, we did get the addition of Jock Stewart and Molly Malone this time and the crowd did just fine in our "communal singing spot". The Barry Kable finale was flawless. Folsom and Testify just rocked!!! (And Russell had tonight's gig filmed too. I am wondering if some of this footage may be included in the video for Testify?) We - myself and my trusty companions - are still holding out that we will get to hear All The White Circles and Be My Lover before this tour is done. It won't be the end of the world if we don't, but damnit, we live in hope!!

Fingers crossed that Russell has a productive time at the GGs and that he manages to have enough stamina left over for the '4 in a row' on this week's schedule. At least the other guys can chill for a couple of days!

Here's to The Holy Church of the Lost Souls of The Vanguard (or whatever the hell it's called!) on Wednesday. And may the saints preserve us. *wink*

Avril