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The Stones’ Sticky Fingers Tribute Show

Starring Adalita + Phil Jamieson + Tex Perkins + Tim Rogers and the All Star Band

@ The Enmore Theatre,
Sydney, 5 February 2022
(Live Review)

Review and Photos by Rob Mezzatesta

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Celebrating clocking up almost 51 years (yes that’s a five and a one) since the release of Rolling Stones’ seminal Sticky Fingers album; a fist full of Aussie rock celebs has banded together to re-live and perhaps create a few new monumental moments with a national tour. Four of the best lead vocalists in Aussie music – Magic Dirt’s Adalita, Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson, The Cruel Sea’s Tex Perkins and You Am I’s Tim Rogers crank out the Sticky Fingers album in full – as well as some tasty extras.

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Adalita Phil Tex and Tim

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After a couple of false starts to the tour last year and 3 rescheduled dates, the show tour is back on track with tonight’s double bunger of a show at the Enmore theatre in Sydney.

I was lucky enough to catch the magic, the glam and the sheer unadulterated rocking goodness of the second back to back show of the night.

The filling room was already buzzing as the house lights came down and the Enmore Theatre was once again able to show off the rainbow of stunning ceiling lighting from its recent renovations, bringing the venue back to its former glory. More buzzing as the Stones’ Sticky Fingers All Star Band hit the stage. The troupe is made up of a handpicked, star studded line up, to perform  backing duties, with Jak Housden (The Whitlams / The Badloves / Tim Minchin) on primo guitar; Dario Bortolin (Baby Animals) on bumping bass; Hamish Stuart (Ayres Rock / Don Walker) on thumping drums; Clayton Doley (Jimmy Barnes / The Mighty Reapers) on tremendous keys; James Christowski on more banging guitars and Winston Smith (Winston Smith & the Riverstones) on sultry sax and harmonica.

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Tim Rogers

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The unmistakable raunchy guitar riff of “Brown Sugar’ started the night off with Tim Rogers strutting across the stage, lips pouting and hips swinging – he even threw in a couple of leaps for good measure. His vocals channelled honky tonk Jagger and the Sticky Fingers tribute was well and truly on.

Next on stage was Tex Perkins to belt out ‘Sway’ in true Tex style, his deep vocals fitting in perfectly with the ramshackle rolling progression of the song. Backing vocals were picked up by the All Star Band and a cracking guitar solo by Jak Housden finished up the track.

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Tex Perkins

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For the next song, Tex calls Adalita up to join him on the stage for ‘Wild Horses’. Together they form an inseparable duo, delivering the timeless ballad with all the passion and emotion that it deserves.

Next up was Phil Jamieson, resplendent in his maroon suit, strutting and posing across the stage for ‘Cant You Hear Me Knocking’. Jamieson worked the crowd and gave the bluesy tune his own take with his powerful vocals, full of grit. The All Star Band got into the groove of the song, turning it into an extended jam session where everyone got a chance to shine. Even Phil got to take a turn on the conga drums.

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Phil Jamieson

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For ‘You Gotta Move’, it was an all in, with Adalita, Tex, Tim, & Phil all having a go at vocals in the bluesy gospel number. There was plenty of swaying and leaning onstage, delivering the song like a whiskey fuelled bar tune.

The next song ‘Bitch’, cranked up the rocking groove. Performed by Tim Rogers, he had all the moves like Jagger and owned the tune and the stage.

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Tim Rogers

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Phil Jamieson returned to the stage for ‘I Got the Blues’. Looking like he was in the zone, this time no swagger, no striking a pose. He delivered the song with a slow and heartfelt passion that it deserved.

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Phil Jamieson

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Back to Tex Perkins’ turn again for the next song, ‘Sister Morphine’. He made his way back on stage, limping like a walking wounded to get his showman on for the tune; and then belting it out like only he could.

Adalita’s return to the stage gave us a cracking rendition of ‘Dead Flowers’. It was obviously a favourite, with a huge crowd reaction as the chair dancing for the seated audience began.

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Adalita

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For the last track from Sticky Fingers, ‘Moonlight Mile’, and first set closer; Adalita and Tex shared the vocals, their arms intertwined – making the song bigger than big, with plenty of appreciation from the crowd.

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Adalita and Tex

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There was no intermission for this show tonight, just a 5 minute breather for the band and for the crowd to digest a live version of Sticky Fingers. The second set tonight was going to be made up of more Rolling Stones hits, across their back catalogue.

By this time the crowd were well and truly warmed up and ready for more Stones classics; and we got them. The intro guitar riff of ‘Start Me Up’ rang out and Phil Jamieson appears, this time in splendid stripy pants to strut across the stage. Off goes Phil and on comes Tex Perkins to give us a gut wrenching, heartfelt version of ‘Paint It Black’, firing the lyrics at the crowd, who were lapping it up.

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Phil Jamieson

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A sleeveless Tim Rogers then hits the stage and cranks out an attitude filled version of ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’, mixing up the boogie with a bit of punk while working the mike stand like a dance partner. A change of pace and Adalita fires up the crowd with ‘Ruby Tuesday’.  Lots of waving arms in the crowd and even a little attempt for a cheeky dance.

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Adalita

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To slow things down a beat, Tex Perkins gets to serenade us with ‘Angie’. Dressed up in his best black suit, he belts out the song straight from the heart, accompanied by some brilliant guitar work by Jak Housden.

Back to the boogie shuffle with a rocking version of ‘Midnight Rambler” performed by Tim Rogers, prancing up a storm on stage and ending up shirtless. How to follow that? Put Phil Jamieson and Adalita on stage to give us the sweetest rendition of ‘Beast Of Burden’ that anyone has heard in a while. Phil hangs around and loses the sweetness to give us a gritty version of ‘Miss You’, giving him another chance to try out a few more poses and struts on stage.

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Meanwhile, in the crowd, the chair dancers are multiplying.

More groove and more chair dancing as Tex Perkins introduces us to ‘Sympathy for the Devil’, with Tim Rogers chipping in on maracas. There is no better performer to play a perfect devil, giving us a manic version of the classic tune.

The final song of the set is ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’, with a bit of a quiet tribute to Charlie Watts projected on the screen behind the band. Both Adalita & Tim Rogers gave us a brilliant rendition and they can both shake a mean maraca.

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Adalita and Tim

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But wait….there’s more……

A much appreciated encore saw Tim Rogers and the Band back on stage after a breather to break into ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’, which had everyone up and dancing in their seats as if unleashed. This was quickly followed by Adalita, Tex and Phil joining Tim back on stage (with a few extras) to all belt out ‘Gimme Shelter’ and finish up the night with ‘Satisfaction’.

There was plenty of crowd participation through the encore and very few bums left on seats as the show wound up to standing and dancing ovations.

The show continues touring through February to Melbourne, Newcastle, Thirroul and Adelaide to round up the well deserved celebration of the Stones Sticky Fingers. Treat yourself and catch them if you can.

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Check out Rob Mezzatesta’s gallery of this show HERE

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Adalita and Tex

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Tim and Tex

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All Star Band

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All Star Band

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AMNPLIFY – DB