Extreme

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Extreme

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Mr Big

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Gallery by Katherine O’ Malley HERE

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Enmore Theatre
Sydney
3/6/18

Photographer – Nicky Carall

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Extreme

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Mr Big

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Extreme

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Gallery by Nicky Carall HERE

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The Forum
Melbourne
6/6/18

Photographer – Len Panecki

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Extreme

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Mr Big

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Extreme

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Gallery by Len Panecki HERE

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Thebarton
Adelaide
7/6/18

Photographer – Bronwen Caple

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Extreme

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Extreme

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Mr Big

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Gallery by Bronwen Caple HERE

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Metropolis
Perth
8/6/18

Photographer – Karen Lowe

Reviewer – Jarrod Henry

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Mr Big

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Mr Big

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Extreme

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Gallery by Karen Lowe HERE

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Review by Jarrod Henry

Far back in the mists of time, well at least back to the late 80’s/early 90’s, there existed a now rare breed of human being: the rock star. Virtuoso musicians who could outplay, outwrite and out perform just about everybody on the planet. These days the true rock stars are few and far between, but it’s a terribly nice thing to have had several of them gracing the stage of Metros Perth last Friday night. Both Extreme and Mr Big boasted not one but TWO serious stars in each band’s line up, and whilst their commercial heyday may seem like a lifetime ago it was immensely satisfying to see a huge queue outside pre-show.

Considering Extreme only made it down here once in 1993 – and omitted Perth on that tour – and Mr Big have never toured here, it was always going to be a pretty big gamble to see if both bands could still pull a crowd some 25 plus years after each band topped the charts. Nevertheless it was a good sized crowd that jammed into the club in anticipation of seeing some truly remarkable playing and hearing some absolutely huge songs.

Mr Big hit the stage to a response normally reserved for hometown heroes or all conquering sports stars and wasted no time in getting down to some serious business with Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy the sheer exuberance coming from the stage was so immediate and infectious it had everyone fist pumping the air and singing along. Opening with a song that showcases guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan playing dual solos with electric drills one could almost have that the band were pulling out the big guns too early in the set, leaving them with nowhere to go. How wrong one could be. Undertow and Alive and Kickin’ ramped things up another notch and showcased the band’s tight four part vocal harmonies beautifully.

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Mr Big – Photo by Klowe Photography

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“Sorry we’re about 25 years too late Perth, but we finally made it” vocalist Eric Martin told the crowd before the band launched into the glorious power ballad of Just Take My Heart. Of the two bands Mr Big were certainly more steeped in the more pop orientated side of songs, their melodies and song structure were just perfect. In a heartfelt tribute to drummer Pat Torpey who passed earlier this year the band ripped through a power charged Take Cover with Matt Starr more than amply filling in for the departed Torpey before Gilbert launched into the intro to Green Tinted Sixties Mind. It was a wonderful moment and reminded quite a few there of just how many classic songs the band have been responsible for down the years.

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Mr Big – Photo by Klowe Photography

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It was inevitable that both Gilbert and Sheehan – two of the most gifted instrumentalists ever to grace the stage – would be given a solo spot and Gilbert was up first, incorporating a stinging Highway To Hell in amongst some six string pyrotechnics. Sheehan’s turn in the spotlight was a ludicrously over the top masterclass of harmonics, tapping and lightning fast fretboard action reminiscent of the great John Entwhistle. It was certainly a huge hit for them, but the inclusion of their cover of Cat Steven’s Wild World was an odd choice when there are so many killer songs from their back catalogue to pick from. Still they kept their version pretty faithful and the inclusion of Martin’s acoustic guitar gave it a rich full sound.

A frenetic run through Addicted To That Rush picked up the pace again before it was time for the band’s biggest hit To Be With You. Regardless of whether you were a fan of Mr Big, or even knew their name (there were a good few people in the crowd who were still in nappies when the song topped the charts) it’s the one song everyone there was guaranteed to know, as the huge chorus of voices singing along indicated. Finishing their set with Colorado Building, Mr Big’s set was definitely well worth waiting the decades for and they still put on a show packed with classic songs.

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Extreme – Photo by Klowe Photography

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After witnessing that, Extreme were going to have to pull out something pretty, well, EXTREME to top Mr Big. But as the band kicked into It(‘s A Monster) and the full on guitar playing of maestro Nuno Bettencourt screamed from the PA, all fears were put to rest. Lean, fit and totally razor sharp, the quartet tore through a set of songs from 1990’s Extreme II: Pornograffitti onwards to their 2008 comeback album Saudades de Rock. Li’l Jack Horny and a massive Get The Funk Out gave frontman Gary Cherone the chance to win over the crowd with some super high kicks and full 80’s rock posturing and showed off a flexibility well belying his 56 years of age. His voice too remains as controlled and unchanged since the early 90’s and was a consummate study in just how a frontman for a rock band should be.

Throwing in only Play With Me from their 1989 debut, the bulk of their set was shared mostly between their 1990 second album and it’s follow up III Sides To Every Story, with the incredible Rest In Peace and Tragic Comic getting an airing early in the set. “This is it. We’re fucking retiring after this tour” Cherone joked to the crowd. It’s hard to imagine a band who were as tight and powerful as they were on the night giving it up any time soon.

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Extreme – Photo by Klowe Photography

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A mid set acoustic run gave the crowd a huge chance to sing with Hole Hearted and some of Queen’s Crazy Little Thing Called Love, the crowd impressing Nuno with some singing (“you guys all need to stick around after the show, exchange numbers and start a fucking band”) before he got the chance to shine as he sat on the drum riser gave us a stunning acoustic tour de force of Midnight Express. Like Gilbert and Sheehan, Bettencourt is a virtuoso, one of the most incredible guitarists still playing today and if anything he’s playing better now than when the band last toured. Restoring the pace with Cupid’s Dead, Take Us Alive and Am I Ever Gonna Change, it was pretty clear who was best on ground out of the two band’s tonight. Extreme’s was one of the most adrenaline rush in your face powerful pieces of rock this reviewer has seen in years.

Like Mr Big, Extreme’s biggest hit is an acoustic song. When Gary and Nuno sat together on stools and Nuno picked out the intro to More Than Words, the crowd went apeshit. As iconic a riff as any produced by a band back in the 90’s, it’s a remarkably melodic piece with some Simon and Garfunkle vocal harmonic magic. And the fact that Cherone could hold the mic out to the crowd and they could sing back word for word perfectly, it was one of those musical moments that people live for. Band and crowd singing as one, just a joyous pocket in time when total strangers could look over at each other and just know that they had shared something precious.

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Extreme – Photo by Klowe Photography

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Bettencourt then left the crowd gobsmacked with his Flight Of The Wounded Bumblebee before Decadence Dance bought the night to a climax. You’d be hard pressed to find another double header tour right now full of everything rock music embodies and should embody; huge riffs, singalong melodies, plenty of guitar hero moments and just a command performance by two incredible bands.

Big and Extreme? You’re Goddam right.

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Check out Karen Lowe’s full gallery HERE.

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Connect with EXTREME and MR BIG!!!

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AMNPLIFY – DB