A fun night out at the Palais with one of my favourite Aussie singer-songwriters. I had a great time, even from the distance of cheap seats.
In theory I’m supposed to be saving for my big expensive European trip next year, and when the new Courtney Barnett tour was announced I thought I’d pass. But then I really liked Creature of Habit, her latest album. It doesn’t offer anything radically new, but she’s an artist whose style I just happen to like and never get tired of, as long as her songwriting remains rock-solid. Even though her lyrics are often rooted in anxiety and self-doubt, there’s something comforting about Courtney’s half-spoken deadpan vocal style and 90s indie rock vibes. I decided that I’d like to hear the new songs and old favourites live after all.
The concert was virtually sold out at this late point, and I ended up experiencing Palais Theatre from a brand new perspective, far up and away in the dress circle. It wouldn’t be my preferred view normally, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment and it gave me a chance to admire the intricate plaster-domed ceiling:
I enjoyed Drifting Clouds, who hail from the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land and blend dreamy 80s synth-pop with reggae, rock and lyrics in the local Aboriginal language. Their short opening set, which included musicians on keyboards and drums, was chill and happy, and put me in a good mood.
Courtney and her two-piece band took to the stage after an interval, and I couldn’t help but notice the change in energy from the last time I saw her live at the Forum. Her stage banter was still relatively minimal and a tad awkward, but she seemed more upbeat and relaxed this time, checking in with the audience between the songs and wishing a happy birthday to every Scorpio born on the day. When she wasn’t chained to the stationary microphone, Courtney paced the stage while rocking out on her guitar, and generally seemed to have a great time.
The stage production was fairly restrained. Every time a new song was performed, the rather sinister praying mantis from the album cover showed up on the big screen behind the musicians. Other than that, the visuals were limited to the vertical LED lighting and shifting colours, including dramatic washes of red in the beginning and end of the set:
It didn’t take long for an old favourite to show up in the setlist dominated by Creature of Habit, with Avant Gardener (still one of the finest songs about a panic attack) drawing huge cheers. At that point, Courtney invited the audience to get up and dance, and though I couldn’t see them on the night, apparently the lower floor responded. In our more reserved upper section, I spotted three people who stood up and enjoyed themselves for a while, before they got shushed back into their seats by an usher. It wasn’t until much later when more dress circle people got on their feet to move and groove, myself included.
The young couple next to me sang along to pretty much every song old and new, but it was the melancholic Depreston with its simple, poignant observations of Melbourne suburbia that had the rest of the audience joining in. Courtney jokingly introduced Elevator Operator as the most Melbourne song she’s ever written; I confess I do miss that early local flavour, though I understand why she’d want to move on and avoid getting stuck with the label.
The show was much rockier than you’d assume from the more mellow feel of the last couple of albums. The newer songs sounded more muscular in the live setting, and the encore delivered an intense moment during Pedestrian At Best, a blistering assault of drums, bass, guitar and Courtney’s relentless stream-of-consciousness rant. The encore also had the most random moment of the night, a snippet of Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like a Woman! played before the closer, Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party. This song by the way perfectly articulates the introvert tug-of-war I feel on most days. I wanna go out / but I wanna stay home, oh yes.
Savings be damned, it was a fantastic gig and I’m glad I spent the money at the last moment.
