19 October 2023 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – word & pictures by Bec Lee
It seems in the last few years there’s been an influx of 80s and 90s acts that have resurfaced, dusted off their Adidas trainers and toured the world in the name of their album released 30+ years ago, or their greatest hits. Last year, Brisbane hosted The Charlatans, Ride and Peter Hook, this year, Slowdive and Inspiral Carpets.
On Thursday evening at The Tivoli, it was Happy Mondays who brought with them their ‘Madchester’ tunes, delighting an almost sold-out crowd. There were less bucket hats present than there were at the Inspiral Carpets gig, but it appears at least a third of the crowd are from the UK.
Supporting the Mondays was greenhouse with a lower-case ‘g’. They’re perfectly matched in style and sound to the headliners and I can’t believe I don’t know them.
From regional Victoria, they must gave grown up listening to same music as myself, (I’m from Geelong and I’ve just realised they are too) because their style is shoegaze (Ride springs to mind) as is their energy. Formed in 1989, they disbanded in 1993 because the grunge scene killed a lot of these acts, however in recent years they’ve reformed and written a new album. Not something you hear every day. And I’m so glad they have reformed.
Not as blasé and too-cool-for-school as many of those early 90s bands (maybe they were back then though?) greenhouse are fun, friendly and very grateful to be supporting the Mondays. The crowd really get into it too, which is nice to see. They are happy just to be there. Singer Michael Robinson is all smiles and as I am also shooting tonight, he provides ample opportunity for me to get some nice shots with his hands up in the air as he provides vocals to anthemic tunes from way back when as well as a smattering of tracks from this year’s debut album release ‘Centre Of The Universe’.
And from this 2023 album is anthemic single ‘Here I Am’ – I have read this is a nod to the LGBTQI+ community and “anyone else who has ever been marginalised for simply being themselves”. It’s certainly a stand-out track in a live setting.
greenhouse give us a warm thank you, the crowd really like them and I am left thinking I must catch them again sometime soon. A trip down to Melbourne perhaps?
I’ve got my bucket hat ready and I’m not too worried about whether Happy Mondays are going to play the faves, as it’s a greatest hits tour and we’re going to get all the gems. As I wait in the photo pit, I realise the only other time I’ve seen them was at a very messy dance festival near Stratford-Upon-Avon in England circa 2006, where I was equally as messy, I don’t remember much of it, and didn’t get any good shots. Tonight will be different. I also think of bassist Paul Ryder who is no longer with us, having recently passed away at only 58.
The Madchester greats arrive on stage casually, singer Shaun Ryder with a big bottle of water and baggy jeans. We scream and cheer as Bez bounces on stage, he’s quite possibly the most famous member of the band and he doesn’t sing a note or play an instrument, instead he is the 2nd front man who dances his way through sets with a set of maracas.
‘Kinky Afro’ is first up, and this one if their best singles, so the crowd is pleased as Rowetta supplies her unique backing vocals to Ryder’s flat monotone. The Tivoli is buzzing.
Also from the ‘Pills Thrills and Bellyaches’ album is classic single ‘Loose Fit’, where Rowetta gets to show us how her voice hasn’t faded at all. We dance like it’s 1990 until we’re taken back to 1986 with the quirky ’24 Hour Party People’ a different sound to those the early 90s tracks, but you can still dance to it and the lyrics are clever. Shaun Ryder was once described by Tony Wilson as a poet that is comparable to Yeats. I’m not sure about that, but he is certainly an underrated lyricist.
Probably the best cover of ‘Step On’ ever, the Mondays do not disappoint with this. Bez covers the entire stage with his weird yet strangely skilful dancing, shaking those maracas. Rowetta again shows us why she’s still very much needed on vocals as poor old Shaun Ryder sometimes struggles and resorts to speaking the lyrics as opposed to singing.
Another of my faves ‘Wrote For Luck’ is left to the end and it’s the only song in the encore as it all comes to an abrupt end and the lights go on. This is the track I am still singing as I walk through the streets of Fortitude Valley post-gig.
Rowetta was the star of the show, with her beautiful stage presence, sequins and voice to match. Bez provided me with some pretty cool shots, and the band sounded pretty darn good. Some of us felt the set was a bit short, but as Ryder tells us “we never really had any hits”. There were a couple from the Greatest Hits album they could have thrown in though, such as ‘Stinkin Thinkin’ but it was a fun night and yet another trip to way back when.
