Three Weeds Hotel, Sydney, 19/2/00

This is just my thoughts of the show at the 3 Weeds the other night.

I can't really write about the supports as I didn't pay much attention to them, as Neil was selling his new and old solo CD's and also his book of poems and I thought I had better buy early as I didn't want to miss out.

The 3 Weeds is a good place to see any band. There is the stage, floor space, tables and chairs, and standing room to the bar. The ~ 100 people attending had taken up all available space, with a lot of people including myself sitting on the floor. To add to the civil ambience, Neil was dressed in a grey suit minus the jacket and tie.

Bill Heckenberg was drumming and Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil) was guest guitarist. Playing clavietta, washboard, piano accordian and adding vocals was Stephen Teakle. The highlight of the musicians was a young lady on cello, who also played mandolin and percussion instruments and sang backup. I apologise as I cannot remember her name, but she was radiant and she looked like she was having the most fun.

Neil played a mixture of old and new songs (I apologise, I have no song list). It was not and has not been for a long while a straight up rock band, with songs that reach into you, drawing on whatever feelings they inspire. He uses instruments that add, in my opinion a folk flavour to the music.

Most of the new album was played and the standout songs for me, were Driving Days and Good Light In Broome. Driving Days was such a strongly delivered song, giving you the feeling that Australia is so big and that going from one place to another isn't just a drive along the tar, but can be a change of lifestyle and a journey in itself.

He didn't go to far back in his repertoire, and took offense a bit to people asking to play songs from early, early albums (he did make a comment to one punter, who asked for He Was Born, that he should get with the times). That could be because the band only knows what they have for the show, 4 albums is a lot of material.

He broke up the set by doing some poems from the new book and as Jeff mentioned in a previous post, they are better heard than read. Neil does so well at putting himself into a character. He did about 4 from the book and recited Windy Mick without the aid of the book. That went down triumphantly.

Neil is definitely the family man now. This is evident with songs like Little One. He mentioned that he wished his youngest daughter was with him and also expressed his feelings of the welfare of children when the parents divorce and how we should think of the kids a bit more.

This show was a performance from a multi talented artist, not a bloke with a band playing a gig at a pub. The crowd was pretty silent and only two people danced, which is such a change from 11 years ago when people were jumping around like a frog in a sock. Neil is maturing and his music has changed too. He can still pull out a riff which has the ability to enlighten you, but he doesn't look like he is having much fun as he used to.

People walked out smiling. A mate and his wife who came with me, absolutely loved it. Somehow I just found his music a bit clean and staid, the atmosphere lacking, but his poetry was outstanding and refreshing.