Live Review: Patti Smith, Courtney Barnett

Under any other circumstances, a musician as loved as Courtney Barnett could sell out Festival Hall on the back of her name alone. But tonight is no ordinary night; in fact, there will never be another like it.

The opening chords of Dead Fox kick off Barnett's set, with the support slot audience still finding their groove for the night. It's an odd thing to witness for Barnett, who hasn't filled the role of a warm-up act for some time. However, she thrives under this sort of spotlight and gives even more energy to her performance than usual.

Along with her effortlessly cool bandmates — Andrew "Bones" Sloane on bass and Dave Mudie at the drums — Barnett pulls everything into the performance. Screaming her lungs out in Pedestrian At Best finally gives the crowd the boost that they need, and an all out mosh fest begins in the centre of the hall. As of yet, there is no further scheduled shows for Barnett and co this year, but by the end of Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go To The Party, the band have thrown every last ounce of themselves into this single showcase of their talents. They are just as excited as their audience for what is about to happen, and boy does it show.

In many ways, this is the moment that much of the crowd have not been waiting for. It's the beginning of the end, the last hurrah, as Patti Smith says farewell to her Australian fans for good.

The band enter to an eruption of applause, and dive into the sensational Dancing Barefoot, with Smith sauntering to the stage in an old suit and beat-up Doc Martens. Anyone familiar with the Godmother of punk will know that she's put in an effort tonight. As soon as she begins to sing, the 70-year-old proves that for all the years of partying and giving a giant middle finger to the world, she has still undoubtedly got it. Rumours of her health are in abundance, and that respiratory problems are the cause of her international retirement, but tonight, she sounds exactly as she did all those years ago.

As someone known for her raw and angry attitude, Smith has a smile and friendly energy that radiates unto every single face in the crowd. "This one is for all the boxers," she grins, "and Russell Crowe" as they launch into Pumping (My Heart). Smith tells her audience that they haven't played that song in around three decades and that she may have fumbled the lyrics tonight, but the imperfect perfection of the performance is pure, unadulterated Patti-Freaking-Smith.

Throughout the evening, Smith revels in giving herself to the crowd through an array of eloquent and beautiful life stories. She tells of her love of poetry and the written form, and thanks Bob Dylan for inspiring her career before performing a rendition of his 1963 track A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall. Smith then recounts the dream that lead her to pen Break It Up, in which an imprisoned Jim Morrison breaks free from a statue and flies off "to the next big adventure". No one can take their eyes off Smith; she is the most captive and enthralling of raconteurs and she knows it.

While she could amass any old group of musos to play along, Smith has brought together one of the most electrifying and flawless backing bands around. The backing vocals of pianist and bassist Tony Shanahan are out of this world, while Andy York and the inimitable Lenny Kaye astound on guitar. Even drummer Jay Dee Daugherty is on top form, coolly pounding away in the background like it's no ones business. They even welcome The Black Sorrows' guitarist Kerryn Tolhurst to the stage for a rendition of Beneath The Southern Cross, with a jaw-dropping breakdown that sees Smith on guitar and every band member at their musical peak.

Barnett can once again be seen as she eagerly watches from the side of stage. Suddenly, Smith gestures her forward and Barnett joins the group for People Have The Power. It's a message that Smith and Barnett have carried for the entirety of their respective careers, and to see the two together is a surprising and welcome delight.

With the long singing of Smith at the top of Land, the crowd explode with anticipation for the nine-minute epic. It would be enough to have the track all on its own, but Smith and co take it to another level by flawlessly dropping in the legendary Gloria at the last minute. The band leave the stage, and immediately the booming of claps and stomps begin. The crowd are nowhere near done, and neither is Smith.

The group return and an incredibly sincere Smith thanks her Australian crowd. "You are my show, you're my concert," she says earnestly, and the piano introduction of Because The Night brings the audience to tears. With a final and mighty push, Smith kicks the whole night into overdrive with Rock 'N' Roll Nigger, the band belying their years with more youthful energy than any other punk band around. Smith brandishes her chosen weapon before her audience, before pulling it to pieces by the strings and holding it defiantly above her head. The band remove their instruments and step forward to greet their crowd, and Smith delivers a phenomenal a capella rendition of Wing before leaving an Australian stage for the last ever time.

In some senses, this is not the big send off that may be expected of someone with Smith's calibre, but that is exactly what makes it so perfect. She is simultaneously burning out and fading away, giving a completely atypical Patti Smith performance without making a massive deal out of her last hurrah. This is not one for the last minute fan or the random punter off the street; this is one for the diehards. Those who grew up on her music and her attitude, that set the cogs in motion for the brilliant female artists like Barnett who would follow in her footsteps. This is for the people that Patti Smith has touched and inspired over her 40+ years of music, and they absolutely love her for it.