Live Review: Neil Finn

It’s Neil Finn’s 57th birthday. He wanders up to the mic, just musician and guitar, and uses pedals to adjust the atmosphere within arrangements (one makes his guitar sound like a didgeridoo?).

When You Come’s lyrics are spotlighted delivered thus and we immediately sigh and sink into our seats. Finn welcomes latecomers as they take their seats, promising he won’t take cheap shots at them as he once saw Barry Humphries do (as Sir Les Patterson). The audience bursts into a spontaneous Happy Birthday (after which Finn points out we sang it in the key of E) and a couple of party poppers are detonated in the front rows. Finn moves to the Steinway and each song he chooses is extraordinary whether or not you’ve heard it before. The dejected piano plonks of Message To My Girl make us collectively get something in our eye. He directs his voice away from the mic to belt out the high notes these days (and struggles to hit them a couple of times), but what a song! And Finn’s banter is almost as entertaining as his playing.  

We’re introduced to The Devil You Know as “Liam’s song” then Finn explains he played it over and over while his son was in the womb and also recorded it on loop for the whole side of a cassette tape to play to, and soothe, him when he was a baby. “Liam, wherever you are I hope you’re sleeping,” Finn adds. Then Finn poises a question, “Why is Matthew McConaughey so hard to understand?” before elaborating: he was once staying at the same hotel as the actor, and on a neighbouring balcony, while the actor was cooking a steak with his dog hanging out next to him. Finn said hi and was ignored. He holds a grudge. As part of his intro for Four Seasons In One Day, Finn performs a segment of Cool Change by LRB, observing it’s also a song about climate. We’re encouraged to sing the Crowded House song’s chorus three times in a row to close and, after the penultimate repeat, Finn encourages, “You’re almost owning it, Melbourne!”

He asks for a volunteer and “Darryl” surges forward and jumps up on stage in his trakkies. Darryl’s taught, and repeats, three notes on the piano and then stops mid-song on command (albeit a little bit early) then starts up again perfectly on cue. Dougal (the bouncer made famous thanks to RocKwiz) is on duty tonight and a string orchestra is welcomed to the stage. Split Enz’ One Step Ahead with their help is even more sublime than the original. One track closes out with the double bassist replicating seagull sounds. We’re introduced to pianist Victoria Kelly, who is responsible for string arranging Finn’s Dizzy Heights. Finn’s wife Sharon shuffles out to supply BVs and we hear some tracks off his most recent solo album. His beat machine trips up into calypso mode to close out one song, but Finn’s such a natural (It’s Only Natural?) we’d instantly forgive him for anything. “Everybody wants the same thing/To see another birthday,” could not be more appropriate lyrics if sung on any other night. Private Universe is this evening’s main set closer.

Finn returns, tuning his guitar and apologises, “I have to tune, it’ll be worth it,” and is it ever as we’re treated to understated-but-great versions of Distant Sun and Fall At Your Feet with added audience-supplied melodies (after Finn’s careful instruction). Seeing Finn live is like a comforting hug when you need it most.