John Farnham IS the voice. Back on the road after a bit of a break, John Farnham has taken to the stage like he had never stopped touring.
This tour came about, as he explained, when he came off stage at the Sound Relief benefit earlier this year and manager Glenn Wheatley talked him into it before he got back to the dressing room. Well, that’s if you believe John. If the truth be known, Farnham is the consummate performer. Not being on stage is hardly a holiday to him.
The show tonight was with thanks to Coldplay but dedicated to Don Lane. Firstly Don, a great mate of Farnham’s, passed away in Sydney today at age 75. Tonight’s show was for Don Lane, one of the greats of Australian television.
John credited Coldplay with reactivating him. Chris Martin invited him to perform with Coldplay at Sound Relief in Sydney. They performed ‘You’re The Voice’. Farnham was paying them back tonight by doing Coldplay’s ‘Lost’.
If you have not been to one of these shows, you could not imagine how good John and the band is. You could also not believe how many hits this guy had either. For one hour and 40 minutes, he only performed hits. You knew every song. He was tossing in number one singles in the first half of the show. How many acts can do that?
So we haven’t had John around for a while. There was a bit of catching up to fill us all in on. For starters, he says he has hardly sung in the last three years, not even in the shower. Mind you, he did then offer to jump into the shower and sing with a very nice looking blond in the front row. (And no I don’t mean Wheatley).
There was something about his manager Glenn Wheatley not being around for some of that time. Sorry, I don’t read the tabloids so I have no idea what you were talking about there John.
Oh, and a little Elton humour about how Elton “got into a bit of stick (chuckle)” ... over the cheat sheet he has on stage to prompt the lyrics. Well, Elvis Costello is doing it now too, so you are excused.
We learned the story about ‘Burn For You’, one of the few songs John has had a hand in writing. It was about life on the road when his kids were little.
I should also mention the audience as well. They didn’t just applaud. They screamed. The crowd worshiped the guy. I should throw in my apology at this point. I was not aware that it is the job of the audience to bring presents and wipe John’s brow with their hankies during the show. (Memo: check and see if they are selling John Farnham sweaty hankies on eBay).
By the way, what is Queen Betty the Second doing about his Knighthood? That must be overdue. If she can have a Sir Mick Jagger, she better also have a Sir John Farnham.
You know what was so great about this show. John! Like I said earlier, he really is the voice.
Here is the setlist from John Farnham at the Palais, October 22. 2009.
Reasons (from Whispering Jack, 1986)
Hearts On Fire (from Romeo’s Heart, 1996)
Everytime You Cry (from Anthology, 1997)
A Simple Life (from Romeo’s Heart, 1996)
Age Of Reason (from Age of Reason, 1988)
Lost (Coldplay cover)
Burn For You (from Chain Reaction, 1990)
A Touch Of Paradise (from Whispering Jack, 1986)
Chain Reaction (from Chain Reaction, 1990)
Two Strong Hearts (from Age of Reason, 1988)
Man of the Hour (from 33 1/3, 2000)
Trying To Live My Life Without You (from 33 1/3, 2000)
Pressure Down (from Whispering Jack, 1986)
That’s Freedom (from Chain Reaction, 1990)
Playing To Win (from LRB’s Playing To Win, 1984)
You’re The Voice (from Whispering Jack, 1986)
Sadie The Cleaning Lady (from Sadie, 1968)
Help (from Uncovered, 1980)
