Powderfinger

It’s official. I am ashamed to admit it but as I approach the magic 5 0, I am developing Boring Old Fart tendencies. I spent some time last night wishing I was elsewhere and that people would sit down and stop screaming in my ear. However, I console myself with the thought that no true BOF would have been at a Powderfinger concert at all, never mind being there all on her ownsome.

No longer a Powderfinger virgin, it’s a tragedy that I have come so late to the party. Yes, sadly, my first Powderfinger concert was also my last. I only took any real notice of the band earlier this year, when we had Austar connected and I discovered that leaving Max on during the day was better than radio. “Burn Your Name” made frequent appearances in the top ten @ ten programme, and I noticed a number of items of interest. The floating lanterns in the video caught my attention first, closely followed by the beautiful voice and then the gorgeous smile of lead singer Bernard Fanning. The song stuck in my head.

A few days after seeing the clip for the first time, I was at work at a local department store. Usually the in-store CD ends up annoying the heck out of me after the first repeat (it’s on an hourly rotation). This time, amongst the one or two songs that I actually can bear listening to was “Burn Your Name”. When my shift ended, I found myself in the sound department searching for the CD, titled “Golden Rule”, and actually buying it on the spot.

My kids, to my constant amazement, like my favourite music. I took them to their first big concert this year (Rob Thomas) and they have my fave albums on their Flash Drives and MP3’s, along with choices of their own. They didn’t mind too much that I was bashing the Powderfinger CD in the car; they are used to my constantly changing obsessions.

Imagine my shock-horror reaction when the band called a press conference to announce that they were doing their farewell tour! I was more than a little devastated. I’d never even seen them live.

Our large mortgage and 1.5 incomes meant that, this time, I couldn’t take the whole family with me to Rod Laver Arena for the concert. My husband, tolerant though he is, was not interested, and if I took one kid, the other would get upset… I have no best friend to rely on for moral support… so I had to attend alone.

We made a weekend of it, driving to Melbourne early on Friday and indulging in some shopping. Leaving the rest of the family in our motel room, I made my solitary way to the Arena. I found my seat four rows down from the back wall, on one side of the stadium and sat to watch the support band. It was hot and they were very loud, I was thirsty and the climb up those steps had me puffed. Boring old fart-iness crept into my mood. I sent a text to my elder daughter in Darwin, complaining about being alone. We exchanged a few messages, the band whose name I never caught left the stage, leaving a guitar feeding back through the sound system. Grumble grumble…

Before Jet took to the stage, I took myself to the ladies, not wanting to negotiate the stairs in the dark. Once back in my seat, I vowed to stay there until the end. That climb was too much to endure again. Was it only 15 years since I ran up those steps at the Aussie Open, when I worked there as a Courtesy Car Driver? My friends and I used to call the Arena “home”, back when it was the Tennis Centre, because our favourite basketball team was based there too, as well as being the favoured venue for concerts.

I’ll just note here that I enjoyed Jet, they were very good but that wasn’t why I was there.

At last, the lights go down and the atmosphere sparks with anticipation. Movement at the side of the stage has the crowd cheering, and ohmygoodness, there is a woman behind me with the harshest, most ear piercing whistle! She “whooo-hoo’s” and whistles so much that I feel like turning and punching her face in. My ears are damaged from too much loud music in my mis-spent youth and they will be buzzing after the concert ends anyway, but she is really hurting me.

Oh, the concert. That’s right. I don’t yet know the names of all of Powderfinger’s songs, so I can’t tell you what they start with. It ‘s not until the third song that I recognise anything. Even so, right from the first note, they have me in their spell. I could listen to Bernard Fanning sing forever and not get bored with his voice. Their music is exactly what I like, so I fail to understand why it took me so long to discover that fact. I’ve had 20 years to find them.

Four girls a few rows over stand up and dance, and I’m glad no one around me has followed Bernard’s suggestion. Boring Old Fart is the anti-thesis of the 50-year-old Fangirl ™ and I wish my mood would improve. I am enjoying the music but have no-one to share it with, and the ear-piercing noise behind me continues, even through the quiet acoustic guitar pieces.

He tells us again that we need to stand up and be prepared to sing along with the next song. Everyone stands, and I have to admit that my mood picks up as soon as I’m on my feet and dancing. OhMyGosh, “My Happiness”! I love that song. Now I have to admit that I didn’t know it was them. Fool. On the screens flanking the stage, I can see the crowd as the cameras pan over them, singing along, definitely the happiest looking audience I’ve seen in a while. Bernard doesn’t even have to ask them to sing, they just take up the chorus when he stops.

Two encores and we still want more. We’re not going to get it though, the house lights go up and I grab my coat and head down the stairs before I can get caught behind a crowd. I hear an announcement to the effect that the recording of tonight’s performance can be purchased outside the front doors. Technology still has the power to amaze me. I need my cash in case I have to catch a taxi, and I’m going out the back doors anyway. Regrets, I’ve had a few.

On the way home today, we stopped at Big W and bought a few more Powderfinger CD’s, which were on sale in honour of the farewell tour, plus a 2 disc version of “Golden Rule” with a live acoustic set on the second disc.

While I’m sad they are breaking up, I’m glad I got to see them at such a high point in their career. It might just rate as one of the top 5 concerts I’ve attended.