Words by Cecelia Pattison-Levi
Pix by Sarah Gilpin Photography
It was Day 4 of the Mundi Mundi Bash experience. After the World Record Blue Day Map of Australia and the generous fund-raising effort of the Mundi Undie run, it was the last day and the World Record attempt for the Nutbush Dance was on. This was to be the last time attempting the record at Mundi Mundi. It was a logistical challenge, but the level of organisation that brings the Mundi Mundi Bash to life is a machine, and the 6779 participants were put in place and that World Record was smashed! Over $100,000 was raised for the Royal Flying Doctors Service.
There was also the Mad Max Gathering, and large trucks moved around the venue. But the real action was in the lines of people waiting to get into the concert area to see the line-up of bands for the day. I was lucky enough to be let in early and caught The Cat Empire warming up and doing a sound check: it sounded so good.
The day of music started with Melbourne-based indie-rock duo Pierce Brothers, consisting of twin brothers Jack and Patrick Pierce, with their talented synth player Dara Munnis. They delivered their distinctive music as they brought the energy, and a huge crowd came down to the concert area of the venue, warming up the crowd with clap-alongs, singing lessons, dancing and a set of songs that took the day to another level.
Pierce Brothers make the most extraordinary and eclectic kind of interactive music that incorporates a diverse range of instruments that include electric and acoustic guitars, drums, stomp boxes, harmonica, didgeridoo, tambourine, hand drums, and synth to create a vibrant soundscape. The instrumentation usage and ability to play them as a cohesive whole within the confines of songs is jaw-dropping. Their skill level is balanced out by the talented and calming influence of Munnis, who gives structure to the chaos, with his musical skills and oversight significantly expanded their sound.
The chaos of a Pierce Brothers performance is so real. Jack plays drums on the barrier, jumps into the crowd to sing and film people; he even climbed the scaffolding of the stage while performing. The trio delivered an eight-song set that started with Overdose, and included Amsterdam, Bottle and Golden Times. They performed their newly released song Losing Friends When You’re Older and another new song that has no title, but they will be included on a soon to-be released album.
The Pierce Brothers frenetic performance barely gave themselves, and more importantly, the crowd, any time to draw breath. It was an astounding way to start the day.
The second band of the day to take to the Mundi Mundi Bash stage was Dragon. The band delivered a set of wall-to-wall hits: from the opening song Speak No Evil to the amazing end with Rain: Dragon are a band that has five decades of musical skill to call on and a ton of songs to choose from.
Fans gathered at the front, and tripped down memory lane, singing along with unbounded enthusiasm to some of the most iconic, beloved rock classics The years melted away as the rock legends (Marc, Jimmy, Bruce and Tim) delivered Dreams Of Ordinary Men, Young Years, O Zambezi, April Sun In Cuba, Are You Old Enough and Still In Love.
Marc Williams still has the moves and the grooves, and his voice is still so strong and filled with heart, passion and power. It was impressive! As was the whole band. Drummer Tim was a machine, holding it down through the whole set and barely breaking a sweat. Guitar ace Brucie and Jimmy on bass delivered the melodies and kept the delivery of these amazing songs professional and smooth. They didn’t miss a beat.
Then, for the first time at Mundi Mundi Bash was 1970s pop superstar Leo Sayer, a self-confessed “Mundi virgin”. He took to the stage and delivered a twelve-song set to a packed-out crowd, and he had them mesmerized. Sayer is the ultimate showman, and his experience shone out as he had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. His voice was still amazing, and he was so loud – it was totally rock ‘n’ roll, and he would have put some metal bands to shame.
Without any frills or fuss, Sayer strolled onto the stage to open with Thunder In My Heart with his cover of The Crickets’ More Than I Can Say. It was another set of wall-to-wall hits as he performed One Man Band, Orchard Road, Moonlighting, When I Need You, and his signature hit, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.
Leo Sayer hit every note with the sort of confidence and swagger that showcased his vocals, which were every bit as good as they were half a century ago when he was a famous popstar. His endless energy was pumped out as he got the crowd to clap, and he encouraged a mass sing-along before delivering his own interpretations of Buddy Holly’s Raining In My Heart, where he stunned the crowd with his incredible harmonica playing.
There were other classics played like Have You Ever Been In Love and Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance) and plenty of opportunities for the crowd to clap, dance and sing along, which they did in abundance to every song. The set closed with How Much Love which was met with a rapturous ovation from a thrilled crowd.
Then, Kate Ceberano, her fabulous guitarist Kathleen Halloran and half of The Cat Empire swept to the stage, and it promised to be a full-on performance with a brass section included. Ceberano brought the party, and it was magnificent. Her band were tight, bringing the groove as Ceberano delivered Pash to start her set. Then, she said: “we are here for 45 minutes, and we are going back to the 80s”. Her set was a delight as she knew her crowd, their tastes and everything she did was totally on point! And the songs delivered were pure joy.
Ceberano’s totally engaging and fun performance had the crowd laughing and partying along with her. Her gratitude to her fans was so genuine, as was her love of Australian music. She did a melody of songs from her outstanding career, where she had 5 of the top 10 singles in the charts in 1985. The songs she performed also celebrated Australian music and female musicians who have deeply influenced Australian music. Ceberano celebrated missing friends like Chrissy Amphlett from The Divinyls, Colleen Hewett, Renee Geyer, James Freud from Models, who lit up the 1980s musical universe. The songs she performed were: Outta Mind, Outta Sight, Barbados, and a bloody brilliant cover of Boys In Town.
She played songs from her early years with Love Don’t Live Here Anymore and songs from her I’m Talking era, such as My Name Is A Holy Word and Trust Me. Then, she played and sang the song that she is most proud of and finds strength in, Brave. There was lots of talk about goats as Kate Ceberano stated: “I am a GOAT – and there are so many goats around here. This song is the one that sustains me – first as a child, then as an adult and now as a bad arsed women approaching 60”. Ceberano also sang the tracks from Jesus Christ Superstar, I Don’t Know How To Love Him, before she launched into Bedroom Eyes and Young Boys or “young ones”.
At the end of her set, the announcement was made of the Nutbush Dance smashing the world record, and Kate Ceberano came back on stage and sang Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits to the crowd as the celebration started. She is a true force of musical nature. Celebrate good times!
The sun was setting as The Cat Empire took to the stage and delivered a captivating live performance that showcased both their classic hits and new material. Their performance presented an opportunity for long-time fans to reconnect with their music and experience it through a new lens. Those first-time listeners had the chance to enjoy a distinctive fusion of Afro-Cuban, Seychellois Kreol, Brazilian, and flamenco music that celebrates music, life, and love.
The lead singer and songwriter, Felix Riebl, brings his own unique flavour to the performance with his magnetic stage presence, which makes him especially entertaining to watch. But the whole band really deliver music that is infectiously groovy and vibrant, as the crowd shimmied, shook, and sang their way through The Cat Empire set. The band capture the magic of musicians playing together in the same space.
Their message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual, as they delivered their songs like Blood On The Stage, Hello, Brighter Than Gold and How To Explain. The Cat Empire’s performance was vibrant and entertaining, with so much musical energy.
And how do you top off the day after all the other bands’ amazing performances? The Hoodoo Gurus went for playing it straight, bursting onto stage like they had a point to make. The last Mundi Mundi Bash they attended ended in their set being cancelled due to a violent storm. As lead singer Dave Faulkner pointed out, “we had not taken care of an injured emu, and we had offended” country, and the storm blew them literally off the stage. But this time The Hoodoo Gurus walked onto the stage and owned it.
They began with zero preamble and blasted away: Faulkner (guitar/vocals), Brad Shepherd (guitar/harmonic/vocals), Rick Grossman (bass/backing vocals), and Nik Rieth (drums) created a furious noise, and then they turned the noise straight into I Want You Back. From the first note, the Hoodoo Gurus were on. They delivered a 17-set song list with Faulkner stating: “we are going to play you the hits and a few interesting songs that should concern you too much”.
The band stuck to their word as the hits arrived with Death Defying, My Girl, Come Anytime, and the fabulous surf stomp of Tojo, Bittersweet, Miss Freelove 69, What’s My Scene and Like Wow Wipeout, also performing fan favourites like Save My Soul, A Place In The Sun, Good Times, the Brad Shepherd led Stoneage Romeo, 1000 Miles Away, Romeo, Kamikaze Pilot, Be My Guru and Lelani.
The Hoodoo Gurus delivered a straight-up performance of great song after great song. They ended the Mundi Mundi Bash in style.
