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THE THE
@ Hindley Street Music Hall,
Adelaide,
18th November, 2024
(Live Review)

Review by Colin Reid

Photos by Elise De Simoni (@elisedphoto)

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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Matt Johnson’s The The have returned to Australia for their first full tour in a very long time.  In fact he hasn’t been in Adelaide for 35 years and fans were overjoyed to have him back.  The band are playing two sets with no support band on this tour.  The first set is made up entirely of the new album ‘Ensoulment’ and the second a mix up of singles and crowd and band favorites.

At 8.30 on the dot the band take the stage. All dressed in a uniform of black suits and shirts they acknowledge the crowd and launch straight into a swirling sonic wall of sound that built as they began the set with ‘Cognitive Dissident’.

Matt’s delivery is a slow-paced somewhat melancholic story telling almost verging on spoken word.  The material is alternately a reflection on the current state of life in Britain “This greedy, unpleasant land wraps itself in a flag” to the current state of dating culture “Is tonight the night he’ll make a fresh start? Swipe to left, swipe to the right”. 

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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There is such craft to Matt’s lyrics, a sense of deepness that demands the listener engage fully with.  In so many was his performances makes me think of Leonard Cohen and I’m sure that I am not the only one in the room to be struck by this thought.  The thoughtfulness and quality of the lyrics coupled with the deepness and resonant baritone of his voice, amplified by the multiple microphones, and his measured delivery.

“It’s been thirty-five years since I’ve played here” Matt chats to the audience. “Theres not to many tall buildings in Adelaide, I like that you can see plenty of sky as you walk about. Adelaide is one of my favourite Australian cities but then you know that I say that in every city don’t you?”.  He notes the slightly odd arrangement of the venue with the ground floor given over to seating and upper floors standing room only.  “Isn’t that normally the other way around, perhaps in the second half we’ll swap things around and have everybody standing”.

‘Ensoulment’ is the kind of record, and I mean this in a good way, that you only have to hear once to know it.  It is so well written that the lyrics stay with you and the songs are really springing to life as the band plays them it is like revisiting a familiar friend even though they are so new.  Matt suggests that the new album is a late-night listen.  This is probably true, there is little in the way of jollity or frivolity, perhaps he is right and it is a reflective late night deep thoughts type of record.  May I suggest that you enjoy with a good glass of spirits or wine to keep you company. Joyous it may not be but truthful it certainly is and don’t worry it isn’t too morose ‘I want to wake up with you’ is the antidote with its lyrics “Just bring whatever you hope to find so, I brought my soul and a bellyful of wine”.

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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Special mention must be made of guitarist Barrie Cadogan.  He was incredible all night, as was his range of guitars.  He provided the perfect foil to Matt’s stern baritone voice, including using a violin bow during one number.

After a short break the band, looking a little less formal having discarded their jackets and Matt doing away with his flat cap, returned for the greatest hits part of the show.  True to his earlier promise, Matt gives permission to all in the seated ground floor to get up out of their seats and dance.  You kind of have to wonder why the seats were there in the first place, I doubt that there was more than a handful of people in the venue under the age of 50 but seriously we aren’t that decrepit that we have to sit down!

The second set kicks off with ‘Infected’ and freed from our seats we loosen up, as the band have, and really begin to get into and lost in the music.  ‘Armageddon Days’ is followed by ‘Heartland’ the crowd swaying to its irresistible grove and joining in with the refrain “This is the 51st state of the U.S.A”.  The lightness of the tune contrasting with the brutality of the lyric.

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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“What was your favourite decade” Matt enquires.  Most in the crowd, thinking he is referring to the release date of his music, are shouting out for the eighties or the nineties.  Matt, however, is actually interested in our favourite decade to have lived through “personally, I hate the eighties” he reflects “I preferred the sixties although I was very young then!”

We are treated to small moments of Matt’s life “I was 12 when I was first in a band playing Free and David Bowie covers and writing some original music too.  I can’t believe that forty plus years on I would still be playing some of these songs.”  They go into 1983s single ‘This Is The Day’ and it isn’t at all surprising that this brings the biggest cheer of the night so far.

Another highlight was ‘Dogs Of Lust’ featuring DC Collard stepping out from behind his keyboard to play harmonica as the rest of the band turned to face him.  An irresistible wall of noise as the light show backdrop pulsed in time with the building sound.

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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The regular set closed out with ‘Sweet Bird Of Truth’ from 1986 album ‘Infected’ and lastly with ‘Lonely Planet’ from 1993s Dusk.  Such amazing songs!  I’ve loved the lyric from ‘Lonely Planet’ that goes “If you can’t change the world. change yourself and if you can’t change yourself….change the world” I wasn’t alone in singing the refrain last night.

A short break and they were back.  Matt was affable and genuinely warm as he took time to thank the crowd, the road crew and introduce each of the band members properly so that we could give them due appreciation before they went into another of those 40+ year old songs ‘Uncertain Smile’ and lastly ‘GIANT’ with the crowd encouraged to join in with the closing chant. 

I’m pretty certain that everyone who had the privilege of being there went home happy and hoping that it wont be another 35 years before he comes back, if it is then we will definitely need those seats!

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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Check out Elise De Simoni’s (@elisedphoto) full gallery of this event HERE

Check out Dan Turner’s (@dapperdanphoto) full gallery of the Sydney event (Sydney Opera House 21st November 2024) HERE

Check out Rob Mezzatesta’s (@robmezzphoto) full gallery of the Sydney event (Sydney Opera House 21st November 2024) HERE

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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Follow THE THE
Website – Instagram – Facebook – Twitter

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THE THE / Photo – @elisedphoto

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Press Release 11th December 2023 (below) HERE

Post-punk royalty
THE THE
announce second Melbourne show
+ two Sydney Opera House shows

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AMNPLIFY – DB