Sound Relief - MCG, Melbourne - Gig Review

The lineup for Sound Relief promised a day featuring the best music from the last 30 years and delivered even more. The day began a bit shaky as Melbourne was pissed on with rain til about 12:30 but the rain had a purpose as it was announced at the event that the last of the bushfires had been put out by the downpour. Once that was established the rain didn’t seem to bother anyone. My wife and I made our way to shelter at the London tavern at about 11.45 to meet some friends and have a couple of pints to start the day and watched Jet play their set on the big screen.. They got a good reaction to their early hits “Rip it up”, “Cold Hard Bitch” and “Are you Gonna be my Girl”.

We made our way into the MCG with no hassle and got our wristbands on for access to the General Admission area, which was a great spot to witness the days action. First up we had Kings of Leon who came out and played a small set, leaving out hit single “Sex on Fire” to avoid showing any disrespect. They opened with my favourite from the new album ”Crawl” which sounded great and then “Revelry”, “On Call” and finished with “Use Somebody”. Slightly disappointing that they only played 4 songs for those who missed out on tickets for their sold out shows at Rod Laver but they sounded good all the same.

Paul Kelly was next and played a selection of hits for the appreciative crowd. Ash Naylor from Even joined Paul Kelly on stage after a solo track for a great set featuring “Dumb Things”, “To Her Door”, “God Told Me To” and the highlight “How to Make Gravy”. The set ended with a beautiful accapella song from his Foggy Highway, “Meet Me in the Middle of the Air” that echoed across the MCG. It was the best set of the early afternoon and had the whole crowd singing, especially on the football anthem “From St Kilda to Kings Cross”.

Augie March were next on stage and opened with “Lupus” and “Pennywhistle” from their latest album Watch Me Disppear. The country stomp of “This Train Will be Taking No Passengers” got the crowd moving and the track we were all waiting for, “One Crowded Hour”, was played last to a see of smiling faces and singing voices. It was moments like this that the 80,000 were here to see and there were plenty more to follow. To avoid the rain and recharge for the upcoming bands I went in for a couple of drinks during Bliss N Eso and Kasey Chambers but heard the crowd enjoying both. The event was run better than most festivals likely due to MCG being designedfor large crowds and due to the amount of people there, lines all moved pretty quickly which made for a more enjoyable day. Highlights from the Sydney event were being shown on the big screens and we were treated with highlights from Hoodoo Gurus, Josh Pyke, Coldplay, The Presets and Icehouse throughout the day. When Coldplay got John Farnham on stage for his classic song "You're the Voice" the crowd sang like it was happening live in Melbourne and it was yet another highlight.

Next up was Liam Finn with EJ Barnes and some very special surprise guests. "Second Chance" was played first and had Liam using a loop pedal to give the impression of a full band which sounded great, especially when he got behind the drums for a solo. After a couple more experimental but enjoyable solo songs he invited his father Neil Finn and Nick Seymour on stage for some Crowded House songs, while he stayed behind the drum kit.




This sent the crowd wild and those who had left their seats would have no doubt dashed back as the familiar chords of "Don't Dream it's Over" begun. Having never seen Crowded House before this was my favourite moment of the day. As the sun came out, Tim Finn joined the group for "Weather With You" which had the crowd taking over the vocals for the most part. The set finished with "Better Be Home Soon" and had the crowd singing in groups all over the huge venue.



Jack Johnson came out next to huge cheers from the crowd as he treated the many fans to a solo performance of hits. He expressed his sympathy for those that suffered in the tragedy and was glad he was part of such a great cause. He had the crowd providing hand clap percussion for his sing-along favourites "Banana Pancakes", "Flake", "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" "Times like These" and finished the set with "Better Together". Jack Johnson is a popular artist in Australia and it was clear a lot of his fans were there today and treated to another great performance. Wolfmother were next and played a selection of crowd pleasers from their only album and had the crowd in a frenzy during set closer "Joker and the Thief". Next came a special message by Prince William and Prince Harry followed by a minutes silence that was observed by everyone except a few drunken twits. Kylie Minogue then appeared on stage from the darkness and lead the crowd in singing "I Still Call Australia Home" which had a great response.


If this is the last time Hunters and Collectors are on stage it will be a damn shame but they couldn't have gone out on a higher note. They played a no filler set of classics as well as they did 10 years ago. The set played was "When the River Runs Dry", "Do You See What I See", "Blind Eye", "Holy Grail", "Say Goodbye" and finishing with the classic "Throw Your Arms Around Me". After the band left the stage the crowd kept cheering and the band were enticed on stage for one more track, "The Slab", one of their earlier pub gig classics. I can't desribe how many great moments I had seen up to this stage and feel lucky to have been witness to so many once in a lifetime performances in one day. There were still 2 acts to go at this stage and was excited about both.


Split Enz were then introduced to the crowd by Hamish and Andy as the NZ band claimed as our own and played a set of crowd pleasers with great energy and enthusiasm. When Neil Finn took over the vocals for "I Got You" and "Message to my Girl" the crowd went apeshit. A great keyboard solo proceeded"Six Months on a Leaky Boat" and "History Never Repeats" was another crowd favourite. The song chosen to close the fantastic set was the energetic "I See Red" which got the crowd dancing. Another great set of hits was over and only one remained.






The anticipation for Midnight Oil was evident within the crowd which exploded when the band opened with the fast paced "Redneck Wonderland". When "Read About It" was played next it was clear that they hadn't forgotten how to please a crowd since they split. The crazy dance moves remained and were being mimicked throughout the crowd and on top of mates shoulders throughout the sacred ground of the MCG. Peter Garrett got his harmoica out next for the classic "Blue Sky Mine" which started a run of Australian anthems including "Beds are Burning", "King of the Mountain","The Dead Heart" and "Power and the Passion" featuring Rob Hirst's epic percussion solo. To finish the blockbuster set off they played "Best of Both Worlds". After a quick break they came out again for the final song of the night "Sometimes".

It was the end to a memorable day that was enjoyed by all who were there and no doubt by those who watched or listened to it at home. $5 million was also raised for the Red Cross relief fund and will be remembered and talked about for years to come.