Brisbane's Time Out Magazine: Brisbane Entertainment Centre Show Review
John Mellencamp, Sheryl Crow, Shane Nicholson -
BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE 25.11.08
By Ben Preece
As a diverse and eclectic array of fans – a cross-section of all age groups and demographics – edge into their seats tonight they’re treated to the sounds of Shane Nicholson, who seems to be having quite a good, albeit incredibly early set. He moves through a steady bunch of songs that are predominantly drawn from his latest album Familiar ghosts and seems to win over a few new fans in the process.
Right from the word go Sheryl Crow doesn’t muck around. Leaping straight into her debut hit single. ‘All I Wanna Do’ the singer delivers hit after hit for a solid hour of Crow power. All the hits are here – ‘Strong Enough’, ‘My Favourite Mistake’, ‘If It Makes You Happy’, ‘Everyday Is A Winding Road’ – making it impossible for you to leave unsatisfied. Crow’s voice is incredible, filling the arena effortlessly while her catalogue more than stand the test of time.
John Mellencamp hits the stage in front of a massive screen, projecting images of himself and quickly jumps into ‘Pink Houses’. The affable chap seems pretty darn happy to be here and delivers his set accordingly. Beginning as a hit-laden affair, the show seems to be divided into four parts, part one tears through the likes of ‘Paper In Fire’ and ‘Check It Out’, while part two sees a lone Mellencamp truly shining on the acoustic guitar with renditions of ‘Small Town’, ‘Minutes To Memories’ and ‘I Need A Lover’.
Part three is a little more obscure featuring new songs and rarities with the classic ‘Rain On The Scarecrow’ thrown in for good measure. But it’s the fourth and final part that gets the diverse crowd to its feet, with sterling renditions of ‘Crumblin Down’, ‘R.O.C.K In The U.S.A’ and ‘Jack And Diane’ bringing down the house – Mellencamp knows the power of these songs and accordingly delivers them with gusto and enthusiasm. After a short break the encore of ‘Authority song’ and ‘Lonely Ol’ Night’ rounds out what can only be described as a brilliant evening of old school rock ‘n’ roll.
By Ben Preece
As a diverse and eclectic array of fans – a cross-section of all age groups and demographics – edge into their seats tonight they’re treated to the sounds of Shane Nicholson, who seems to be having quite a good, albeit incredibly early set. He moves through a steady bunch of songs that are predominantly drawn from his latest album Familiar ghosts and seems to win over a few new fans in the process.
Right from the word go Sheryl Crow doesn’t muck around. Leaping straight into her debut hit single. ‘All I Wanna Do’ the singer delivers hit after hit for a solid hour of Crow power. All the hits are here – ‘Strong Enough’, ‘My Favourite Mistake’, ‘If It Makes You Happy’, ‘Everyday Is A Winding Road’ – making it impossible for you to leave unsatisfied. Crow’s voice is incredible, filling the arena effortlessly while her catalogue more than stand the test of time.
John Mellencamp hits the stage in front of a massive screen, projecting images of himself and quickly jumps into ‘Pink Houses’. The affable chap seems pretty darn happy to be here and delivers his set accordingly. Beginning as a hit-laden affair, the show seems to be divided into four parts, part one tears through the likes of ‘Paper In Fire’ and ‘Check It Out’, while part two sees a lone Mellencamp truly shining on the acoustic guitar with renditions of ‘Small Town’, ‘Minutes To Memories’ and ‘I Need A Lover’.
Part three is a little more obscure featuring new songs and rarities with the classic ‘Rain On The Scarecrow’ thrown in for good measure. But it’s the fourth and final part that gets the diverse crowd to its feet, with sterling renditions of ‘Crumblin Down’, ‘R.O.C.K In The U.S.A’ and ‘Jack And Diane’ bringing down the house – Mellencamp knows the power of these songs and accordingly delivers them with gusto and enthusiasm. After a short break the encore of ‘Authority song’ and ‘Lonely Ol’ Night’ rounds out what can only be described as a brilliant evening of old school rock ‘n’ roll.