Pix by Squirty G
1990 was an important year for album releases in rock and metal.
Megadeth released Rust In Peace, Slayer put out Seasons In The Abyss, Pantera shocked the world with Cowboys From Hell and Queensryche unleashed Empire, while the world of rock was shaken by albums from Living Colour (Time’s Up) and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (The Good Son), but it was the debut album by a then relatively unknown American rock outfit called the Black Crowes that really captured the world’s attention.
That album, Shake Your Money Maker, with its blues-tinged hard rock sensibilities launched the start of a stellar career for the Black Crowes who recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut with a massive tour that invited their fans to experience the album played in full for the first time.
I have never seen the Black Crowes before, and, being converted to their music by that album in my teens, was intensely looking forward to last night’s show at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall.
Maybe a little too much.
You know how it goes when you work yourself up for something that you think will become one of the highlights of your concert-attending life? Usually the reality fails to meet up to the expectation and no matter how good the performance is it still feels like something was missing…
Not this time.
The reality was even better than the expectation which, believe me, is no small feat.
Often when watching a band play an album in full the predictable nature of the set can become a tad monotonous. People generally like to be surprised as the entertainment unravels around them which detracts from the notion of playing a full album, but that was definitely not the case last night as the Black Crowes shook their money maker one more time.
Even walking into the venue was full of positives.
One of the first people I saw was sound master extraordinaire Chippy. Now, if you have ever seen Aussie greats like The Poor and Rose Tattoo you will know what magic Chippy can conjure from a mixing desk, so to see him in the area of a massive live show was instantly comforting.
I don’t know if he was even working, but the fact he was there was enough for me.
As the lights dimmed Tom Jones classic Sex Machine blasted from the speakers and the crowd as one reached for the heavens and began swaying their bodies in time to the beat. It was the perfect intro song, creating a warm atmosphere that threatened to erupt as guitars pierced the night and vocalist Chris Robinson playfully waved his mic stand at the crowd before launching into Twice As Hard. His flawless transition from audience focal point to vocalist was note-perfect from the outset, his cool swagger only adding to the sense of occasion.
And the best part was that even after 30 years the music still sounded as fresh and relevant as it did the day it was released, and, more importantly, the Black Crowes still played it with the same passion as they arrived with over three decades ago.
After a brief interaction with the crowd where he asked/made the statement “how fucken good is rock and roll?” Robinson led the charge into Jealous Again, and the crowd roared in adulation.
The four-part harmonies across the front of stage were a highlight, but everyone from the two backup singers to the keyboardist filled their roles beautifully. The mix was outstanding, and the obvious chemistry that only comes with familiarity was infectious.
The guitar solo to introduce Sister Luck was mesmerizing, but it wasn’t until Robinson leant into the microphone and opened his lungs that the gravity of the moment sank in.
This was the first time he had to really stretch his vocal range, and he nailed it emphatically. But, honestly, would you expect anything different?
This song for me highlights the live experience more than any other. I generally skip this song when listening to the album, because, if I am being completely honest, it bores the shit out of me.
But live it takes on an entirely new dimension. It almost breathes a life of its own, even.
Not that I will let it play out fully next time it comes on my stereo, but you get the picture.
Seeing Things was one of those moments where you just had to be there, and nothing I can say here would do the song justice, so let’s leave it at that.
The Black Crowes cover of Otis Redding’s Hard To Handle drew the biggest cheer of the night, and justifiably so. Seldom do you hear bands play a cover that well they almost claim it as their own, but I doubt even Mr. Redding himself would dispute the fact that the Black Crowes ARE Hard To Handle.
It was interesting watching the band play a selection of songs that they probably have performed only minimally on the live circuit in the past. The execution and timing was flawless but little things definitely stood out for me between the album songs and the handful the band chose to complete the sets.
For a start, the first act featured less elaborate solos (which wasn’t a bad thing because what was played was pure quality) but you could tell that these songs were rehearsed pretty closely to the album cut in order to minimize complications. Just an observation, and most certainly not a negative one.
After tearing the roof off with a beautiful rendition of She Talks To Angels the Shake Your Money Maker act of the show was rounded out by the blues-tinged rock number Stare It Cold and I could have easily gone home happy from there.
But the Black Crowes weren’t done with us yet.
Over the course of their Australian tour the band have mixed up their back catalogue to finish the show, which is a smart move. It effectively means even if you went to last night’s show, you could still hear a couple of songs tonight that weren’t on last night’s setlist.
Like I say, very smart…
Tonight we got My Morning Song, High Head Blues and Wiser Time before Thorn In My Side provided my personal highlight of the night.
The song is just a beast of a musical slab, featuring tempo changes, solos and awesome vocals matched only by the intensity of the song. The extended jam-like outro could have easily satisfied the capacity crowd to finish the night, but there was no way the Black Crowes were going home without playing Remedy.
And play it they did. That song holds a special place in my musical history for reasons I won’t go into here, and last night it hit in all of the right places and reminded me all over again why I fell in love with music. Absolutely sensational stuff.
By the time the Black Crowes completed the set with a Rolling Stones cover there hardly looked to be a dry eye in the place. It truly was a special performance and if you live in Brisbane and haven’t yet got tickets for tonight’s show, trust me on this one.
You will forever regret missing the chance to shake your own money maker while you had the chance.
There are also shows remaining in Adelaide and Melbourne so head here now to secure your tickets: https://www.livenation.com.au/
*FULL PICTURE GALLERY TO FOLLOW*
