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THE CHURCH
@ Hindley Street Music Hall,
Adelaide,
7th December, 2024
(Live Review)

Review by Colin Reid

Photos (Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024) by Matt Young’s (@mattyoungpics)

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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On Saturday night Adelaide was treated to a forty-years in the making, two-set retrospective from Australian psychedelic dream pop outfit The Church.  Without the need for a support band the ‘Already Yesterday’ tour took the crowd on a triumphant journey through the highlights and the deep cuts of their first four albums ranging from the 1981 debut ‘Of Skins and Hearts’ to ‘Heyday’ from 1985. It was an astonishing 26 song reminder of all their fabulous and timeless songs, before returning with a song each from ‘Starfish’ and ‘Gold Afternoon Fix’ but more of that later.

Opening with ‘When You Were Mine’, the three guitars of Ash Naylor, Ian Haug and Jeffrey Cain layered and meshed together perfectly over Steve Kilbey’s driving bassline. Steve both looks and sounds fabulous at the age of 70 with his voice in great shape.  Immediately there are heads in the crowd bobbing in time and a number of audience begin to groove and seat dance as best they can. It is such a shame that the gig is mostly seated; this is music that makes you want to move along with the soundscape leading to the song’s crescendo conclusion.

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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“Hello Adelaide! Is this the best venue in Australia?” enquires Steve of the crowd. “It must be right up there” He is right, the sound and the lighting is pretty much always perfect at The Hindley Street Music Hall.  “Are you ready for two or three hours of nostalgia?” as the band launch into ‘Tear It All Away’. Again, the three guitars dance and flit carrying the melody over another pumping bassline with Ash’s guitar solo ringing out like the thing of beauty that it is.

Steve has an easy way about him, very natural like he is conversing with old friends which I guess we are. We are all so familiar with the material even those how look to young to have been born when these albums came out.  Whether it is joking with the crowd or sharing small snippets about the where’s, when’s and how’s of songs Steve speaks with charm and wit and he delivers the songs like a master storyteller.

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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The whole band are a wonderfully tight musical machine.  Ian and Ash trade opening riffs and searing solos.  ‘Electric Lash’ is a particular highlight as is ‘Almost With You’ about which Steve reminds us that it is un-Australian not to love. The crowd responds and some leave their seats to dance in the aisles and the wings of the auditorium.  Set one ends with Steve asking about drug taking on Hindley Street and as no one in the crowd will admit to ever having done it he tells us that we won’t enjoy ‘You Took’!  It was a spellbinding, seemingly never-ending psychedelic conclusion to the first half of the show.

Set two opens with ‘It Doesn’t Change’ before an incredible version of ‘Myrrh’ which was one the highlights of the night for me as was ‘Columbus’ with the change of pace of ‘Secret Corners’ nestled in-between.  There were more reminiscences from Steve about a reviewer calling one song “puff the magic dragon on acid” and about a fan calling his daughter after ‘Tristesse’; if only they had known what it really meant.

‘The Unguarded Moment’ bought a huge response from the crowd.  The magical opening notes of the song enchanting us all.  It was incredible, the band loved playing it and the crowd loved hearing it.  As Steve said, it was inevitable that they would play that one.

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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True to his nature Steve took time to thank all of the band, both of the guitar techs as well as the sound and light people and the bands tour manager.  This was the last night of the tour and it was clear how hard everyone had worked to make these shows special.  They closed out the second set with a frenetic wall of noise, guitars howling and crashing through a breathtaking version of ‘Don’t Look Back’.

After the shortest of breaks they came back with what Steve described as “a couple of horrible, boring old songs that we know you don’t want to hear”.  They were the only departures from the first four albums firstly ‘Metropolis’ and finally a big crowd sing along to ‘Under The Milky Way’.  The band formed up, took a bow and the applause of the crowd’s standing ovation.  We had all found what we were looking for tonight!

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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Check out Matt Young’s (@mattyoungpics) full gallery of the Brisbane Event (Fortitude Music Hall, 29th November 2024) HERE

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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Follow THE CHURCH
Website – Instagram – Facebook
 Twitter – YouTube

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THE CHURCH, Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane, 29th November 2024 / Photo – @mattyoungpics

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Press Release 22nd May 2024 (below) HERE

THE CHURCH

The ALREADY YESTERDAY Tour
will celebrate their
first four albums and more!

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AMNPLIFY – DB