The year is 1968 and the world of music is inundated with releases from artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Rolling Stones. It was also the year The Beatles released the White Album. Their nineth studio album and only double long play record, it featured a collection of thirty tracks which many believe to be one of the greatest albums of all time, and which tonight is being brought to life at the Riverside Theatre by an unusual collection of Australia’s finest front men in You Am I’s Tim Rogers, Chris Cheney from The Living End, Phil Jamieson from Grinspoon and multi-ARIA winner Josh Pyke.
Backed with a sixteen piece band, we knew we were in for something special, with Cheney striding to the stage with his Gretsch slung over his shoulder to deliver ‘Back in the USSR’ with the rocky punch it deserved before wheeling away to make allowing Phil Jamieson to gracefully waltz on from stage right, to perform ‘Dear Prudence’. Cheney returned for ‘Glass Onion’ before we were introduced to to the ensemble with the wonderful ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ sung by Jamieson and the outstanding Josh Pyke before being joined by the witty Tim Rogers, dressed in black jump-suit unzipped the the navel, purple suede boots and matador-style hat, before remaining on stage donning a furry bear head piece and singing ‘The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill’.
Highlight of the evening though goes to Chris Cheney and his incredible version of ‘My Guitar Gently Weeps’ which included his wonderful guitar playing, showcasing just how good a player he is. Breath-taking. ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’ belonged to Rogers, pulling out a fake joke gun and deploying the cloth ‘Bang’ at the end. Josh Pyke hit us up with ‘Martha My Dear’ with Jamieson once again gliding on stage like a ballerina to perform ;I’m So Tired’. Pyke returned with an acoustic guitar to deliver a near faultless performance of ‘Blackbird’ before the unhinged Rogers eerily entered wearing a rubber pig mask (which frightened a small child returning from a much needed toilet break) for Piggies. “Sorry little boy,” joked Rogers, before introducing us to Sherbet’s Tony Mitchell on bass. “As you can tell, I get all the unpopular songs,” he quipped before launching into Rocky Racoon, finally being joined by Pyke. With the first half concluding with ‘Don’t Pass me By’ (Jamieson), ‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road’ (Cheney), ‘I Will’ (Jamieson) and ‘Julia’ (Pyke), we took a short twenty minute break.
Cheney was the obvious choice for the rockier numbers as was evident with excellent ‘Birthday’. Jamieson left the stage to wander the theatre for ‘Yer Blues’, surprising unsuspecting audience members by sitting down next to them in the odd empty seat. Rogers got to serve us up with ‘Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey’ before Jamieson returned bathed in a sea of purple & red lighting for the cheeky ‘Sexy Sadie’. It was time to turn it us with Chris Cheney exclaiming, “It’s going to get a bit loud” before unleashing the superb ‘Helter Skelter’ before we were brought back to earth with a bump by Pyke returning for ‘Long, Long, Long’.
A costume change saw Tim Rogers return to the stage dressed all in white to perform the easy listening version of ‘Revolution 1’ before Jamieson returned, sitting by the piano to sing ‘Honey Pie’. ‘Savoy Truffle’ and ‘Cry Baby Cry’ made way for the orchestra led ‘Revolution 9’ before the entire collection of vocalists returned to bid us ‘Good Night’.
But the baying crowd didn’t want tonight to end – it was early by any accounts and soon stage hands appeared, delivering four stools for the fab four to return and perform a wonderful acoustic encore of worth and note. ‘Two of Us’ highlighted just how good these four are with impeccable harmonies. ‘Across the Universe’ was delivered in much the same way with Cheney & Rogers bookending the quartet with acoustic guitars. ‘The Ballad of John and Yoko’ was performed with an element of fun as Rogers giggled towards the others. The full band returned for The Magical Mystery Tour’s ‘I Am the Walrus’. Phil Jamieson got a brief moment to introduce us to the wonderful band, with string & brass sections before the grand finale of ‘Revolution’ which saw the theatre rise to its feet in unison to clap, dance and celebrate a wonderful night of music.
The White Album Concerts continue across the country during September with tickets available HERE
With thanks to Estellar PR for the media access
Photos by Hunter Brothers Media
