You know hell really has frozen over when you go to a Billy Joel concert and don't get 'Just The Way You are' but do get AC/DC's 'Highway To Hell'.
Special mention goes to roadie Chainsaw who handled lead vocals for the Oz Rock Classic, giving Joel the space to strap on a guitar and get a bit of 'rock God' action happening. Maybe the Acca Dacca addition wasn't all that much of a stretch. After all, Joel's current band features Adelaide born Andy Cichon who at one time also played in Rose Tattoo.The surprising factor of the Joel show was just how damn funny the guy is. In referring to his bald head, his best line of the night was "it's really not about having less hair, it's about getting more head".
He thanked the people in the "cheap seats". "Thanks for buying the cheap seats because all of our kids have to go to college".
There was no fancy set, no big screens ... in fact as Joel put it "that's it. The Piano turns around. Big fucking deal".
Having no new material in 13 years meant that the setlist was kept to pure gold. Early in the show he played 'Everybody Loves You Know' from 1971 and 'The Entertainer' from 1974. "I'm getting all of the shitty albums out of the way first," he joked.
The setlist for this tour is pretty much set in concrete, although he did replace the pre-programmed 'The Great Wall of China' with 'The Downeaster Alexa' halfway through the show and move 'Scenes From An Italian Restaurant' to the encore.
It didn't matter to the audience though. They knew and loved every song. Surprisingly, it was 'Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)' that first had them jumping out of their seats.
The show covered the entire Joel career with the exception of any material from his 1986 album 'The Bridge'.
Setlist for Billy Joel, Melbourne Park, November 10, 2006 was:
Prelude/Angry Young Man (from Turnstiles, 1976)
My Life (from 52nd Street, 1978)
Everybody Loves You Now (from Cold Spring Harbor, 1971)
The Entertainer (from Streetlife Serenade, 1974)
Don't Ask Me Why (from Glass Houses, 1980)
Zanzibar (from 52nd Street, 1978)
Miami 2017 (See The Lights Go Out On Broadway) (from Turnstiles, 1976)
New York State Of Mind (from Turnstiles, 1976)
Allentown (from 1982, The Nylon Curtain)
The Downeaster 'Alexa' (from 1989, Stormfront)
Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (from The Stranger, 1977)
An Innocent Man (from 1983, An Innocent Man)
Keeping The Faith (from 1983, An Innocent Man)
She's Always A Woman (from The Stranger, 1977)
I Go To Extremes (from 1989, Stormfront)
The River Of Dreams (from 1993, River of Dreams)
Highway To Hell (with Chainsaw, AC/DC cover)
We Didn't Start The Fire (from 1989, Stormfront)
Big Shot (from 52nd Street, 1978)
It's Still Rock and Roll To Me (from Glass Houses, 1980)
Uptown Girl (from 1983, An Innocent Man)
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant (from The Stranger, 1977)
Only The Good Die Young (from The Stranger, 1977)
You May Be Right (from Glass Houses, 1980)
Piano Man (from Piano Man, 1973)
