I had so much fun at this concert, dancing and grooving to the mesmerising desert blues of these awesome Tuareg rockers.
I had a privilege of seeing Tinariwen live more than ten years ago, playing at the Melbourne Arts Centre. I was blown away by their musicianship and stage presence; the striking sight of the band in their traditional robes and veils with electric guitars was something to behold. My only beef was with the seated arrangement; I remember sneaking away with a small bunch of like-minded people to dance by the stage, before the killjoy ushers shooed us away. Happily, this time around there were no such restraints in the Forum’s general admission.
I ended up going to the city straight after a dance rehearsal for our mid-year concert, so you could say that I arrived warmed-up and ready. The night was off to a great start with Melbourne-based Chikchika, who delighted the crowd with their infectious African beats and tunes. Their female vocalist was especially fantastic, charismatic and full of energy. I can usually take it or leave it with supporting acts, but this year I’ve seen some great openers that I would have been genuinely sorry to miss.
Ideally I would have preferred to see Tinariwen play around a giant campfire somewhere out in the Sahara desert, however Forum Theatre’s starry sky ceiling wasn’t a bad substitute. I found myself a nice spot in the middle of the floor section, and it wasn’t long before the six members of Tinariwen were greeted with a huge enthusiastic cheer. The lineup has remained fluid throughout the years, but I was happy to see the return of the band’s dancer who was so entertaining last time I saw them. He did pick up a guitar at one point and proved to be as deft handling an instrument, but I did love his elegant, understated moves.
Though I haven’t kept up with every Tinariwen release in the last few years, from the sounds of it they haven’t strayed too far from their unmistakeable, hypnotic grooves and trademark call-and-response vocals. I was happy to see a couple of older favourites in the setlist, but if you have a basic love for their style, you’re guaranteed a great time at a Tinariwen concert no matter which songs they play. Like myself, the audience was captivated by the undulating rhythms and languid jams punctuated with blistering guitars, so vividly recalling the desert setting that gave birth to this music. It may not be the music for wild dancing and jumping maybe, but there’s no way you’d remain completely still.
The crowd interaction was limited to an occasional thank you and merci beaucoup, however you couldn’t miss the sheer amount of love in the room. The only thing I found myself missing was the female singers who sometimes join the lineup and bring a wonderful contrast to the more gruff male vocals, but otherwise I couldn’t have wished for more.
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