Cannot Buy My Soul - The Songs of Kev Carmody at the Queensland Music Festioul

It was the grant conclusion to this years highly successfully
Queensland Music Festival curated by Deborah Conway.
Described as a landmark Australian music concert and
it lived up to the hype. A sellout crowd of 8000 gathered
under the cloudless night sky to see something that was
just magical

The crowd as the sun goes down

This signature Queensland Music Festival event sees Carmody's
repertoire - from blunt protest songs to poetic ballads -
reinterpreted by a thrilling line-up of Australia’s most
acclaimed singer songwriters and musicians who contributed
to the 2007 album Cannot Buy My Soul, produced by long-time
friend and collaborator Paul Kelly.


Deborah Conway opening things

Carmody’s music embraces a range of styles, mixing folk and
country with reggae, funk, traditional didgeridoo and mandolin,
hard rock, gospel and his straight-talking, laconic,
sharp-edged vocals. Persuasive, intelligent and committed,
Carmody puts this combination of musical traditions to stunning
effect in sung stories that are wistful, witty, brutal and poignant.

Kev with everyone at the beginning

The full line up was Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, John Butler,
Clare Bowditch, Tex Perkins, The Herd, The Drones, Glenn Richards,
Sara Storer, Steve Kilbey, Dan Sultan, The Last Kinection,
Missy Higgins, Troy Cassar-Daley and Dan Kelly
and The Pigram Brothers .
An incredible line, very deverse, covering an amazing music
spectrum from country to hip hop

Kevin is a master songwriter, no doubt about that and that is what
brought this incredible group together, to celebrate the man
and his fantastic songs. This is what they did and in style.
Dan Kelly opened the night with "I've Been Moved" a song
he wrote while droving in 1968 and a great way to start under
the starry night sky.
There was many songs I haven't singled out and have a
photo for, Broome's Pigram Brothers did their spellbinding
version of "Eulogy to a Black Man"
Sara Stoners did her beautiful rendition of Moonstruck,
Clara Bowditch likewise did a wonderful cover of the
delicate " Blood Red Rose", all the songs on the album.

Glen Richards, Paul Kelly and Missy Higgins performing "Drovers Woman"

There was many highlights but the song "Droving Woman" was
worth the price of admission alone. This incredible 18 verse
masterpiece has to be heard to be believed and this version
is worthy of such a great song. Complete with the wonderful
visuals of horse breaking on the big screen behind.


Another highlight was Tex Perkins doing the song"Darkside"
complete with the video shot by the street kids Kev
wrote the song about after working with them.

Bernard Fanning did his stylish version of "Elly", he sure can sing
that man.


The Last Kinection showed us what the kids are doing these days
with their powerful hip hop version of the tragic song
"The Young Dancer is Dead"


The Drones took one of Kevs most rawest emotional songs that
draws a direct line from injustice today to all the back through
2oo years of "Oppression's Loaded Gun" and sung it like they
understood.


Kev Carmody picked up the guitar to sing the title song of the
night, "Cannot Buy my Soul"
I haven't heard what happened but Archie Roach should have
sung that one. It was good to hear Kev sing it again.

Troy Cassar Daley was joined by the girls to sing "On The Wire"
Kev explained that he had got the girls to sing the chorus as the
song is about a junkie coming home where he belongs and
the women were always at the frontline of any welcoming back
with his people.

There was a narration from Kev has the night progressed, he took
us on a journey through his life. the photo above is from when
he explained how he discovered the meaning of democracy when
he first started University.

Steve Kilbey took Kevs song "Images of London" a song he wrote
when he went to London and saw for himself the injustice and
poverty there. Steve sings it with an urgency, you can't help
but listen.

The Herd have taken the spoken word piece "Comrade Jesus Christ"
and expanded it turning into a piece of brilliant political hip hop.
Which is a tradition they excel in.

John Butler and Midnight Oils Jim Moginie performed kevs
Signature turn "Thou Shall Not Steal" A true show stopper.
Boy that Butler can play slide.

Dan Sultan and Paul Kelly performed and incredible rendition of
"This Land is Mine" one of two songs Kev and Paul wrote together.
It is an incredible song that shows how differently two different
peoples can view the same thing, in this case land.

For the grand finale the Kev and Paul anthem
"From Little things Big Things Grow"
Everyone came up on stage and many had turns in singing
a few lines from the song that tells the story of the birth of
the land rights movement in this country.
When they got to the bit where Gough pours the handful
of sand through Vincents fingers, accompanied by the
big screen video of Gough and Vincent, a roar went through
the audience.
It was an experience, an incredible night.