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<\/p>\nPaul Kelly<\/p>\n
Brisbane Entertainment Centre <\/p>\n
Friday, August 29th<\/p>\n
The last time Paul Kelly played the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in 2009, he appeared as a guest of Leonard Cohen. Now, over a decade and a half later, every paying customer in the sold-out arena is here to see one of Australia\u2019s finest.<\/p>\n
Fanny Lumsden opened proceedings, followed by Lucinda Williams and her rocking band. Williams is frail after a 2020 stroke. She walks with a cane and no longer plays guitar on stage, but her magnetism resides. Highlights from her set included \u201cStolen Moments\u201d, \u201cDrunken Angel,\u201d and \u201cJoy\u201d. The latter segued into Led Zeppelin\u2019s \u201cHeartbreaker\u201d, which sat alongside a killer take on \u201cWhile My Guitar Gently Weeps\u201d and the closer, \u201cRockin\u2019 in the Free World\u201d \u2014 which would do Neil Young and current \u2018custodians\u2019 Pearl Jam proud.<\/p>\n
By the time 9pm hits, we\u2019re ready for the main event. Paul Kelly strides on stage, takes a seat at the keyboards and pounds out a superb \u201cHoundstooth Dress\u201d as band members saunter out to join him. The opener \u2014 released last year \u2014 provides a clue that Kelly isn\u2019t here for a nostalgia show.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirewood and Candles\u201d is next, and the band \u2014 now joined by Jess Hitchcock on vocals \u2014 haven\u2019t wasted any time before taking flight.<\/p>\n
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Prepared to pay homage to those who\u2019ve contributed to his music both here and along the way, Kelly calls out the melodic mastery of the late Steve Connolly\u2019s guitar lines as the players dive into \u201cBefore Too Long\u201d. It\u2019s the first time tonight that you can feel a room as big as this react in blissful unison.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a similar nod for nicking some chords from The Go-Betweens before Kelly plays \u201cCareless\u201d, followed by an acknowledgement that The Go-Betweens probably \u2018borrowed\u2019 those same chords from somewhere else, and the whole shebang is tied up in some giant shared song cycle.<\/p>\n
The newest song performed tonight is \u201cRita Wrote a Letter\u201d, a prequel to \u201cHow to Make Gravy\u201d. The setlist is built on light and shade. With clever backdrops on the big screen, this is a theatre show that\u2019s weaving its magic in a bigger space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a shift as Kelly leans into his first real signature song, \u201cFrom St Kilda to Kings Cross\u201d. Soon the band are roaring through \u201cTo Her Door\u201d, and the arena atmosphere has been transformed into a rousing beer hall. That\u2019s a hell of a magic trick to pull off \u2014 and Kelly duly does it again with \u201cDumb Things\u201d.<\/p>\n
Approaching another orbit, Kelly swaps his guitar for a large-bodied Gibson electric and strums the chords for \u201cDeeper Water\u201d. No matter the calibre of the songs we\u2019ve already heard, this is the apex of the show \u2014 a song about life, love, and facing down eternity.<\/p>\n
Emotional in a different way is the main set\u2019s closer, \u201cFrom Little Things Big Things Grow\u201d, which was co-written with Kev Carmody. Kelly might have fumbled the lyrics, but it barely mattered as the crowd carried the chorus. The image of the band playing in front of a giant image of Gough Whitlam pouring sand through Vincent Lingiari\u2019s fingers won\u2019t fade quickly.<\/p>\n
The encore included \u201cLeaps and Bounds\u201d, while the final number featured the band and Kelly in a huddle for \u201cMeet Me in the Middle of the Air\u201d \u2014 which Kelly first recorded with the Stormwater Boys.<\/p>\n
A superb night, the show offered evidence of where Kelly\u2019s been and where he wants to go. He is one of the grand masters of songwriting and our unofficial poet laureate. This year he turned 70, and long may he run.<\/p>\n