the Church - O.K.- I get it now!!

I finally got to see the Church live on xmas eve...
O.K. I GET IT NOW!!...
yeah yeah.. I know.. "You've never seen the Church live b4 ????"
well... no I haven't...a fact I'm not proud of... It's just how things happen sometimes.
I'm a fan - don't get me wrong! I've grown up listening to em from the fantastic early paisley pop records to the darker mood pieces...I've just never pulled my finger out and bothered to see em b4....until that fateful day.. a day etched into chucks memory forever.. DECEMBER 24 2011.
I really wanted to see em last time they played Brisbane at the Jude...but couldnt get tickets.. apparently from all reports it was a fantastic gig..I saw em get the ARIA award and thought - "hell or high water I'm gunna see these ppl next time they tour here!"


 ARIA hall of Fame package with intro from George (is brisbane) Negus.
 Kilbey was on fire for the ARIA speech and I was hoping to get some of this "aloof no more" rapport with the audience.. but he informs us early into the first set he has been told to keep "his 'charisma' under control " for the evening.. dang!.. not to worry - the sounds were what this night was about.


 Church speech @ ARIA holl of fame lifetime award.
The gig was at the Powerhouse and the room is a great size with a fantastic sound system.
I get there just as the band walk on stage and shuffle to my seat as they are playing the first number..The ticket says 7:30 and that's when they started..bang on.. It's xmas eve and they have 3 classic albums to perform as part of their "Future - Past - Perfect" tour..
They start with -
Untitled #23.  (link soon)
A CD I'm still struggling with. It's fine music but not the Church stuff that jumps out and smacks you in the face. Seeing it live has brought me back to giving it more listens and I can appreciate it more now. I woke up one day last week hung over like a mutha fugger and totally spent and it made more sense than it has before.. or since..I will continue that journey and no doubt one day It will click.
They take a 15 min break and return with -

PRIEST=AURA     FPP TOUR 24-12-2011..

Now this is a CD I've owned for a long time and live it gels well. If you don't have this grab it at all costs. It's not the total pop Church.. but it is "the Church".. great songs with soundscapes..The performance has stepped up a notch and a joy to watch them do their thang. It hits me- of all the hundreds of people I must have talked about this band to over the last 30 years..the ones that were totally dedicated to the 'cult' of the Church were regular gig goers and even tho you can enjoy the music by itself..to see the band is where the shits at..People tell me they are in fine form..well I've never seen em in bad form but I can testify that live...I'm sold..back again any and every chance I can get.
It's still not over..
they take another 15 minute break and return with -

STARFISH       FPP TOUR 24-12-2011.

This is the money shot for most casual Church fans..It has the hit "Milky Way" and one of my all time favourites - Reptile.



small Reptile clip from powerhouse 24-12-2011
Koppes has a bit of something going on with his geetar or amp during the end of the first song and he and his tech spend a moment trying to chase it down as the song finishes...he then starts his guitar intro for Blood Money and after a few bars realises he has blown it..Kilbey just rolls his eyes but doesnt turn around.. MWP laffs a bit and Tim makes a comment that Peter has his cd on shuffle.. to break the tension..and it does..There is an air at the powerhouse of behaving yourself that sometimes stiffles the crowd for showing its enthusiasm.. This little fluff clears the room of that stiffness and the band breaks into Milky Way.
A few minutes later Koppes has trouble again.. the ebow for the first solo is fuked and the notes clunk out instead of wailing.. him and the tech do the concerned look thing again and solo over, a new ebow is produced for a sailing outro solo..Koppes quips for the Blood Money intro "deja vu anyone" and continues to rock the room for the rest of the night..
After just shy of 3 hours of magical musical moments its all over..
MWP tells everyone to go out and buy a geetar for xmas..with masters like these as teachers of style I'm tempted to buy another one!!



Hotel Womb clip from Powerhouse 24-12-2011

some reviews of the recent seagulls gig and this gig can be found here..with some nice video of the recent american FPP tour.
and ffs - join the Church facebook page as it has lots of links for videos and updates of new solo projects..Cant wait for the Opera House DVD!
For a walk down memory lane read this great piece by the master of rock critique- Ian Macfarlane.

The Church article from magazine- From the Vault. vol1 no.3 -1987