FOREIGNER // Photo by Isabelle Haubrich

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The concept of merging rock band and symphony orchestra is certainly not a new one. As far back as the late 60’s when Deep Purple unveiled their Concerto for Rock Group and Orchestra, the idea that the worlds of classical and contemporary music could be fused in a gorgeous collision has inspired bands through the years. Some have succeeded in spectacular fashion, some less so.

But if there was ever a band whose music was born to be augmented by strings and horns, it was Foreigner. The 70’s/80’s rock giants bought their 40th Anniversary Orchestral Tour to Australia recently and played in fine style in Perth last Tuesday evening in front of a full and adoring crowd, bringing their 16-piece orchestra with them in what was one of the most spectacular displays of musical prowess seen on these shores this year.
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FOREIGNER // Photo by Isabelle Haubrich

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After a brief Overture by the ANU Symphony Orchestra featuring snippets of some of the band’s biggest hits, Foreigner hit the stage with Monday Morning, Blue Day. Vocalist Kelly Hansen immediately proved to be the consummate frontman, hitting soaring high notes, engaging in some classic rock posturing and in general working the crowd with ease. Cold As Ice had many of this down the front on their feet immediately, despite some early interference from security. However after some friendly admonishment from Hansen things settled down and as the night progressed more and more people piled to the front of the stage until the whole theatre was on it’s feet.

This was definitely a night of ‘all killer, no filler’ as Waiting For A Girl Like You had the crowd singing along. It was one of those songs that benefited immensely from the addition of a classical score, and indeed throughout the show the tasteful arrangements never overshadowed the band’s performance. After a rousing That Was Yesterday, the stools came out and the whole band sat at stage front for a stellar acoustic take on Say You Will ( complete with a very Tullesque intro courtesy of multi instrumentalist Thom Gimbel) that once again showcased the crowd in fine vocal form. A real treat was the inclusion of The Flame Still Burns, a song Mick Jones wrote for the film Still Crazy and its mythical band Strange Fruit (easily one of the greatest rock bands that never was!) and even with some updated lyrics it was truly an emotional highpoint of the night.
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FOREIGNER // Photo by Isabelle Haubrich

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After another quick changeover the orchestra gave us a Prelude that lead straight into Double Vision. The sheer energy and exuberance displayed not only by Hansen – himself a 15 year veteran of the band – but the whole group was so infectious, the songs were played perfectly and were performed with the due respect they most certainly deserve. Sole surviving original member Mick Jones , now in his 70’s, still pulled out classic solos and riffs and flitted from guitar to keyboards easily over the course of the set. Foreigner were always a band that see sawed between full-tilt rock and stadium power ballads, and both sides were in the house tonight. After Feels Like The First Time  came an absolutely ripping Stax-charged take on Fool For You Anyway, complete with a screaming horn section, both tracks from the first Foreigner album that showed just how good a songwriter Jones was right from the start.
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FOREIGNER // Photo by Isabelle Haubrich

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With Dirty White Boy being the only inclusion from 1979’s Head Games album, it was left to Urgent and Juke Box Hero to lift the roof off the place and close out the set proper. By this stage pretty much the whole place was on its feet, singing and dancing, before the band returned to stage and after a speech from Hansen about connecting with each other and love, gave the crowd the biggest hit of their entire career and one of the biggest selling singles of all time. Joined by members of the UWA Choir, I Want To Know What Love Is was totally over the top enormous, a genuinely massive well of emotion that was just at home in the more intimate setting as it was on the stadium stages of the world. An honest to god singalong power ballad that saw the whole room singing with one voice. It was one of those magical fragments in time when band and audience connect and become one. From there, as the orchestra and choir exited the stage, it was left to the Jones-led septet to leave the crowd with Hot Blooded.

Much has been said of this current incarnation of Foreigner. Critics have likened it to seeing a cover band, with Jones now the only original member left in the lineup. However you may wish to see it, the band still put on one hell of a show that all those present will be talking about for some time to come.

Check out Isabelle Haubrich’s photo gallery of the show HERE

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