As one might remember, I mentioned that José Gonzáléz was touring Australia again and that I made sure I wasn’t going to miss him when he pops Down Under again. So at 3PM me and two other lucky people made it to the Athenaeum Theatre to get in. Athenaeum Theatre is a building that looks old, and probably is old, with white classical facades and 3 floors of seats. This, is a real theatre. The seats on the ground floor were divvied up into “stalls” which is a crummy way of calling it given they aren’t partitioned or anything save for the walkways that divide the sections. Thankfully, the place was small enough that you’re never too far from the stage where the action goes on when you’re down there.
The upper areas, which I’ve had the misfortune of walking to thinking thats where my seat was was called the dress circle on the 1st floor. Decent view from that height, I’d hate to be the fellows on the uppermost floor on the farthest seats at the back. But anyway.
I had no clue of who the opening act would be, or whether there would be an opening act at all given no name was given on the ticket nor was there any indication of an opening act until actually in the theatre and looking at a silk screen poster for sale that looked a lot like 2 japanese cranes printed on recycled paper. That and his name was on it along side a Jen Cloher. Opening act.
Ah. Now we know.
Did I mention you could bring drinks into the theatre? Thats right. As an alcohol friendly country, this theatre sold drinks at a bar next to the entrance, and you had people buying bottles of champagne, glasses of reds, whites and bottles of beer. Its 3PM people, and we’re already drinking alcohol. And they drank in moderation. Lest they not have the ability to clap mid-show.
Anyway, the stage was set with 3 chairs and 5 different guitars. 2 for one chair, 3 for another. The other chair sat all alone. By 3.30 the lights started dimming, and a trio came on stage. A woman carried a violin, a man and another woman picked up guitars. The woman with a guitar, introduced herself as Jen Cloher, her violin toting friend as Andrea, and her other guitar playing cohort as Michael. Jen Cloher & the Endless Sea are actually a 5 piece but played as a trio that night to set up what would be an acoustic night.
They played a 30 minute set which was made up of songs from their Dead Wood Falls LP and Permanent Markers EP (really, what else would they take it from if not from their albums??) and all are actually quite, decent. From sad songs like The Longing Song which is very much like its name is about longing, to the cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Statetrooper, which Jen said has a “stalker-ish” feel when sung by a woman. I concur.
Each time a song ended the lights went out, and without fail I kept hoping its the last time so they can stand up and let Mr. Gonzáléz come in and play. That isn’t to say they were bad, its just that everytime I hear his songs I can’t help but wonder if there are actually guitars in play when his song is on.
By 4PM Jen Cloher and co had picked up and gone, and the sound technicians swarmed in and set the stage up. For 3 seats. Again. All had microphones to them, but the left most was left untouched with no instruments, the middle one had two bongos and what looked like a hard guitar case on the floor, the rightmost was left with a mic as well.
Then finally the lights dimmed. José Gonzáléz walked out with guitar on hand, and sat on the rightmost seat. A single light was focused on him, his deep eye ridges produced shadows that covered his eyes, his fingerwork on the guitar showcased as he immediately started plucking Deadweight on Velveteen, no accompanying vocals, no other person on the bongos, no introduction.
He needed no introduction for his hands did all the introducing, mesmerizing the seated public with his ability and finesse on the classical guitar. When listening to his album, you get the assumption that there are more than two guitars in play. But the reality is that he is a one man show. Any string being plucked or strummed are of his own guitar. No one elses. The price of admission is justified the moment you watch this virtuoso show you how to play the classical guitar.
There was rarely an in-between time between songs as he seemed all business in putting out songs, rather than make banter with the public. Later in the show the two seats were filled with a man on the bongos and a woman on with a rattle or a shaker… something. The hard guitar case was probably not a guitar case but actually something to step on. Like a bass drum, but not producing a bass sound. The percussions were not obvious, as his haunting vocals and classical guitarwork took centerstage.
His voice was hardly ever heard outside of himself actually singing. A quiet meek voice introduced his two friends on the bongo and shaker, and to state that he was playing his last two songs was probably all we’d hear outside of him actually singing. By then he had gone through about a dozen songs, most from his Veneer album, and a few newer ones I don’t remember, even from his Australian Tour EP.
And yet as he played his last song and he got up, we had yet to hear ALL his tracks, such as the song in the Bravia Advert – Heartbeats. Indeed as he walked away with his two friends the applause kept going for at least 5 minutes, until he walked out again and the applause turned into outright ovation as he sat down with his guitar and said into the mic “Heartbeats”.
The crowd just went nucking futs.
The one song that the general public would’ve heard from him, that probably turned what was already a hit in Sweden into a world renowned one. This song is worth the price of admission alone. You come in, sit down, hear him play this and walk out satisfied knowing you can die and not have anything else left in the world to do.
Upon finishing that number, a smile on his face, he gestured to people offstage to come on, and along came bongo-guy and shaker-girl. More percussion accompaniment to songs like Stay In The Shade.
3 more songs and a thank you, an ovation as the three come together for one last bow and a wave.
For 45 bucks, I’m happily gratified. This may not be a Foo Fighters rock concert or Snow Patrol, and it never tries to be. This is a José Gonzáléz concert. For the hour and a half you’re in the hall with him, you’re sharing something special. For that hour and a half, your eyes and ears are his. You experience a world of music that is unique to itself.
Thank goodness the Snow Patrol tickets sold out so I could end up here instead.
Ooh. While at it, I picked up his paraphenalia in the form of a shirt. The design is also on his Australian Tour EP cover. More music swag added to my inventory.
I did say something about obtaining a new album over the internet, didn’t I? I’m fairly confident I did. Oh yes. I 
A concert. Is where teenagers go to get drunk, throw up middle fingers, body surf, do mexican waves and have a fucking awesome time. The last day of the Australian Foo Fighters In Your Honor tour, here in Melbourne was no exception. With a packed Rod Laver Arena, the Foo Fighters rocked it up on the last day of their In Your Honor tour here in Australia.
The Foo Fighters started out this concert strong and kept plugging at it all the way through. With songs new and old, it was a flashback for old fans and a baptism for newer ones. A 10 year anniversary of the formation of the band, they really threw in a song from practically ever CD produced. In Your honor, Big Me, All My Life, My Hero, they played just about every song to singalong. It felt, pretty much like a Foo Fighter sing-a-long the whole while.