Live Review: Air Supply, Timothy Nelson

Singer-songwriter Timothy Nelson ("from Perth" as he keeps telling us) — with his enviable ginger 'fro — showcases impressive falsetto particularly during Mary Lou. "This song is about falling in love with a nun and trying to lure her away from a convent," is how Nelson intros Cocoa Jackson, about which Dad plus one says, "That was a weird one, he must've written it on something".

The sing-alongs drop early on: "Girl, you're EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD TO me!"

Even though this is billed as one of Air Supply's 40th Anniversary shows, lead singer Russell Hitchcock (the shorter one) tells us they've actually been together for 41 years now given the length of this tour. Amazingly, Hitchcock and the taller one, Graham Russell, first met all those years ago backstage at this very venue while performing in Jesus Christ Superstar. Hitchcock sports a red satin shirt and matching tie under black, Adam Ant-style military jacket and Sweet Dreams — "Close your eyes I want to ride the skies in my sweet dreams" — is our opener. Russell wanders around the stage, utilising a wireless headset mic. Hitchcock plays air guitar a lot, uses 'trumpet fingers' on his microphone and points out individual crowd members who are particularly getting into it. The sing-alongs drop early on: "Girl, you're EVERY WOMAN IN THE WORLD TO me!" Hitchcock gallops around the stage, intermittently, as if on a hobby horse. He's done amazingly hitting all the high notes so far, but we collectively cross our fingers before the chorus at the tail end of Love & Other Bruises — nails it!

Hitchcock temporarily leaves the stage (for "a cup of tea", Russell tells). Russell recites a poem ("Because I can do what I want as long as Russell allows it") called Softly, which is heightened by appropriate lighting design. Russell is then joined by the guitarist from their backing band to perform one of his own songs (a comical ditty about glass eyes and wooden legs, no less). Hitchcock returns to the stage after a costume change — he chooses a smart black shirt and waistcoat combo — and the pair performs Two Less Lonely People In The World seated on centre-stage stools.

Being a hometown show, Hitchcock tells us he has family in the house. The duo then wander down the side aisles (one each) into the crowd to randomly pose for selfies with, hug or kiss their fans for almost the entire duration of Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You). Once they've returned to the stage, Hitchcock directs us in singing this song's chorus a couple of times before he joins in, leaping up an octave (show off). Audience members storm the aisles for Making Love (Out Of Nothing At All) before ushers escort them back to their seats. Hitchcock actually crosses his fingers before the high chorus part in Lost In Love, but doesn't falter.  

Their encore kicks off with a couple of lesser-known upbeat numbers (including the club mix of Desert Sea Sky, which transports us to Mardis Gras) before emotional closer All Out Of Love exhausts our vocal cords. It's always a pleasure sharing Air Supply's good vibrations.