Live Review: Abbey Road Live

The significance of The Beatles' Abbey Road was evident even before venue doors opened at Kram (Spiderbait), Mark Wilson (Jet), Davey Lane (You Am I) and Darren Middleton’s (Powderfinger) tribute to the iconic release. Avid fans lined the entry well before showtime, with both those who would have purchased the record on release 50 years ago to some who were just being born as it celebrated its 40th anniversary in attendance. 

"We're worshipping at the altar of The Beatles," Kram declared after admitting the nerves within the band.

An overwhelming sense of community filled the room as opener Come Together reached its chorus, and Kram's vocals were joined by gliding harmonies amid thick bass from Wilson.

A surprise addition to the line-up, Even guitarist and vocalist Ashley Naylor delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of Something, nailing the emotional highs of the melodies and delicate guitar solo.

"You know what song I'm about to play... unless you skip it," Middleton joked, taking over for quirky, upbeat pop rock hit Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

Abbey Road Live. Photo by Adrian Thomson.

The album's eclectic flow was enough to keep things interesting, but the decision to constantly switch vocalists for every song meant there truly wasn't a dull moment, and also meant they were able to add celebrated Australian singer Linda Bull into the mix, her soaring vocals during Oh! Darling welcoming a new intensity to the night.

A spitting image for a young Ringo Starr (if you squinted), Brett Wolfenden (The Pictures, Jim Keays) stepped down from his kit and assumed the role of frontman for Octopus's Garden. 

"If it looks like we're concentrating incredibly hard, it's because The Beatles never had to play this stuff live - we do," Middleton laughed before the band crowded around three microphones for harmony-rich Because. It was songs like that and Sun King, where their combined vocal force took precedence, that the evening truly hit its stride.

The justice being done to each song made the setlist's inherently predictable nature all the more exciting, with fans on the edge of their set as they tried to predict where the band would take the next song.

Mean Mr Mustard, Polythene Pam and She Came In Through The Bathroom Window meshed into one epic trio of uplifting fun, culminating in a huge singalong for Carry That Weight and The End. The "love you" chorus refrain summed up pretty much everyone's feelings towards the powerful record.

Abbey Road Live. Photo by Adrian Thomson.

After such a theatrical and charming hour, the band were understandably gleaming, having nailed Abbey Road in full, and to celebrate, they were determined to cut loose via a set of greatest hits, starting with Hey Bulldog.

You don't know how much you need a version of Helter Skelter driven by Kram's trademark, gruff vocals and soaring backing vox from Bull until you hear it, and the same could be said for a lot of the other songs featured in the encore set, including a beautiful acoustic version of Yesterday from Middleton and criminally fun rendition of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band alongside set closers Please Please Me and Love Me Do.

Some of Australia's best musicians playing some of the greatest songs of all time, you couldn't really ask for much more.

Kram said it best: "They call this a job? Are you kidding me."