Project Description

RED HOT SUMMER TOUR

JOAN JETT

JIMMY BARNES

THE LIVING END

+ DIESEL + RICHARD CLAPTON + CHOCOLATE STARFISH

@ Sandalford Wines

(Live Review)

13/01/19

Reviewer: Yasmin Richards

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Kick starting an explosive new year, the Red Hot Summer Tour is back once again to rock the socks off fans in true Australian style, offering keen audiophiles a chance to get a taste of bands such as Chocolate Starfish, Richard Clapton, Diesel, The Living End, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and Jimmy Barnes.

Following a show stopping commencement in South Australia, Sandalford Wines welcomed eager fans a chance to pack a picnic and experience the lineup of Australian and international music sensations. True to the headline, it was indeed a red hot summer’s day with the sun licking noses and shoulders red and sending visitors in a beeline to the bar.

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Chocolate Starfish burst onto the stage in white and patterned attire, getting the party started with a cover of Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat Out of Hell.’ Having already embarked on the Red Hot Summer Tour in previous years, the band came prepared with more ammo for their set, a brand new album entitled ‘Spider.’ Their flamboyancy and stage presence attracted a unique gathering of fans who had punched the ends of their Chocolate Starfish stubby holders out and turned them into cuffs and a woman who wore a gold starfish in her hair. Basking in the last few moments of their set, the band engaged with the crowd. Lead singer Adam Thompson had everyone to their feet ready to jam out to their cover of Carly Simon’s ‘You’re so Vain”,

“There’s 10,00 people here today. I don’t care what you do for the rest of the day, I just need you to stand for one song.”

Digging for one final burst of energy, Chocolate Starfish ended their set on a nostalgic road to the 90s with a cover of 4 Non Blondes “What’s Up.”

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A commercial success in the 70s/80s and multi skilled singer and guitarist, Richard Clapton was next in line to perform. Taking it a notch down from Chocolate Starfish, Richard sought to provide a slow ambience that burned into classic rock and roll. Bottles of wine circulated around the grass as “Capricorn Dancer” wailed, creating a dream-like atmosphere.

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For poor Diesel it seemed as though he had been forced out onstage unprepared. Sound technicians seemed to have missed the mark as he attempted to strum a sound from his guitar in competition with the background interval music and again as he reached for his acoustic that wasn’t tuned in time for another song. However, all was forgotten as sing along, “Come To Me” rang through the speakers and erupted an ovation from a crowd who remained moderately silent up until this point. Ending the set came “Tip of My Tongue”, a song for fellow concert goers like myself who knew the song but couldn’t prior associate it with the composer. Diesel’s crowd favourite had warranted him a standing ovation that had since multiplied.

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Long gone are the days of contributing to Tony Hawk Skateboarder games for Australia’s own version of Green Day, The Living End. Rather this time the band was in charge of surging the electricity of their new album “Wunderbar” into the bodies of crazed fans. Songs such as “Second Solution” and “Death of the American Dream” alerted audiences to the point of no return. The speakers would grow louder and bodies would turn into a sea of energetic mess. Their set reeked of 90s and 00s commercial success and present day new endeavours. Despite the warning for no moshing, you’d be pretty daft to think you could put an end to that during “White Noise.” Chris Cheney, lead vocalist, demanded that that everyone contribute to “Wake Up”, dividing segments between the ladies and men.

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The Living End finalised their set with “Prisoner of Society,” a punky number that vaguely reminded me of Green Day and sent fists into the air. Every band that was yet to come would pack a punch, but after The Living End, who would punch harder?

There are certain privileges that come with being a music reviewer, in this case it was being granted the power to take one very unprofessional photo alongside all the other big wigs in the photography world. Here I was with a crappy Samsung S8, three feet away from international rock and roll goddess and my personal hero, Joan Jett!

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In a once in a Perth lifetime opportunity, Joan showed the Swan Valley just how a badass woman in rock music performs by thrashing out The Runaways “Cherry Bomb.”

Always an inclusion to her setlists, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts performed “Light of Day”, a song written by Bruce Springsteen for the film of the same name. It was this song that Joan performed alongside actor Michael J Fox in their fictional band The Barbusters and added acting to Joan’s resume of talents.

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Kenny Laguna, performer and producer for Joan Jett took to the microphone to engage the audience in a brief history lesson of Blackheart Records and the production and release of Bad Reputation and I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll,

“No one could believe a female was fronting a band with all male members, so we took to selling records in the back of our car and that was essentially the birth of Blackheart Records.” 

My disappointment grew thick as Joan’s set drew to a close. In what seemed like a flash, my hero had departed the stage with The Blackhearts, but not before closing with “Crimson and Clover”, a cover of Johnny O’Keefe’s “Wild One” and “I Hate Myself For Loving You.”

I pride myself on the fact that she made brief eye contact with me. If only I could be as cool as you, Joanie.

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Closing for the night came a man that gives Australians far and wide a chance to release their inner bogan by waving their beer guts round and round in time with the signature Barnsey shriek. Jimmy Barnes was back again, also here to celebrate the release of his new album “Criminal Record” and enlighten the crowd with a few tracks.

“How the fuck are ya Perth?” 

Jimmy grunted into the microphone to the excitement of men and women who had long by now moved their picnic rugs in trade for a place in the pit.

“It’s time to play some fucking rock and roll!”

Jimmy Barnes was one of those men who radiated confidence on stage. It would be a disgrace to stay in one spot, a crime to be dissociated from his fans. The man with a name everyone knew, an Australian personality or legend status alongside Steve Irwin or AC/DC.  I had asked a man that night what made Jimmy special to him. He explained that it was the “Working Class Man”, he was the working class man.

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As everyone piled into their shuttle buses, or limousines for us fancy folk, the smell of stale beer and red wine signalled a successful night. The show may have been over half an hour ago, but to the happy, wine-fuelled partygoers, Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel was still alive as “Nothing I Want” was screamed out of the open windows.

The wine and beer intake may fog the memories, though I’m sure the sunburn everyone copped will serve as a friendly reminder.

RED HOT SUMMER TOUR

TOUR DATES

Tickets Here

JAN 19/ MORNINGTON, VIC

JAN 20/ MORNINGTON, VIC

JAN 26/ LAUNCESTON, TAS

JAN 27/ BALLARAT, VIC

FEB 2/ HUNTER VALLEY, NSW

FEB 3/ BAULKHAM HILLS, NSW

FEB 9/ BRIBIE ISLAND, QLD

FEB 10/ BRIBIE ISLAND, QLD

 

Check out Karen Lowe‘s gallery of the show HERE

 

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