Live Review: The Seekers

When a gig starts at 7pm, sharp, on a Friday night, you know you're in for something special. The Seekers still do wonderfully uncool cool like no one else on the planet, and they got a standing ovation even before they played a note tonight. It was with good reason, least of all as a welcome back to Judith Durham after a brain haemorrhage earlier in the year. Durham and her boys Keith Potger, Athol Guy and Bruce Woodley were in excellent voice and happily in storyteller/songwriter mode, splitting their set between live tracks and firm memory lane detours, including video from a 1965 NME concert where they were honoured alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones at the height of their powers. It was also an opportunity to talk about unlikely successes during that time (but remarkable achievements), including Woodley co-writing with Paul Simon back in the day (Red Rubber Ball). This was an interesting counterpoint to more contemporary well-wishers like the recorded messages from Andre Rieu and Cliff Richard, but even the hardest ironic hipster couldn't help but get their groove on when the hits kicked in and the high notes were still nailed with apparent effortlessness. How and when did everyone in the room (pop folkies all over) learn the words to A World Of Our Own, Georgie Girl or Keep A Dream In Your Pocket? It doesn't matter, it's all there and still word perfect. Meanwhile I Am Australian is now taught in schools, and The Wiggles have taken Morningtown Ride to toddlers all over again, while more recent songs like solo songwriting and recording efforts have also stood up well (including Durham's Colours Of My Life and Potger's Guardian Angel, Guiding Light). Generously, they also paid tribute to some of their early gospel and proper folk influences (that is, folk before it was all beards and banjos), including When The Stars Begin To Fall, originally recorded by The Weavers. After two sets that included more video, flashbacks and a fabulous '70s-inspired costume change (Durham still cuts an amazing figure and manages epic heels), of course, the final tune was The Carnival Is Over. Let's hope it's got a while to go just yet.