Live Review: Paul Kelly, Steve Earle, Middle Kids

On a damp Sunday evening in front of the most famous building in Australia, Paul Kelly curated an evening that would wrap 4,000 people around his little finger.

It started with something new. Middle Kids, out of Sydney, have been so busy touring the world in 2017 that they haven't added to their recorded catalogue of one EP as yet. However, this hasn't stopped them being noticed by Paul Kelly, who handpicked them for his home country tour.

The songwriting from lead singer, Hannah Joy, is reminiscent of the main act, telling a story in a way that translates a simple idea into something much more. Quite obviously, this four-piece are on the verge of much bigger things and they tickled our anticipatory tastebuds with a new track. They didn't even seem overawed to be playing in this mighty setting. Perhaps it's the bravado of a band whose sights are aimed for headlining this place.

Steve Earle played Copperhead Road first. "Well that's fucking sorted," he declared after performing his biggest hit in a much more cutback acoustic version than the original. Earle has been around the block a few times or more but admitted, "This is the closest I've ever been to that building," pointing to the sails in front of him. It's little wonder the 62 year old hasn't been near too many opera houses. His style of American rock/country sees him touring the world at blues and country festivals.

The set contained numerous stories, some brutally delivered. He even brought the crowd chatter to a silence when discussing the day his 14-year-old son found his loaded gun. Not surprisingly, Earle told us he now believes in gun control and dedicated The Devil's Right Hand to the cause.

With somewhat sad eyes, Earle brought up his now-single status and told us how in his "last fucking divorce", all he wanted to keep was his Victorian-made mandolin. He produced the beautiful instrument and played his final song; a rousing rendition of Galway Girl. It was a bitter-sweet set from a talented man that seemed to have wished he'd taken some different paths in life.

If you'd have told Paul Kelly 20 years ago that in 2017 he'd have a #1 album, I don't think he'd be surprised. One of the greatest songwriters that this country has ever seen is not one to sit back and admire his career. Continually reinventing and striving to try something new, Kelly inevitably returns to what he does best, writing about everyday life and surrounding himself with beloved family, friends and fans. So here we are, with 4,000 of his closest friends, in a city that embraces him despite his Victorian preferences. Because Paul Kelly is one of the good ones - he's an open-hearted Australian that embraces the people, the land and the stories that inhabit it.

Despite starting the show with three tracks from his Life Is Fine album, we were reassured that tonight would be a mix of new and old. His more recent tracks mingle easily with the classics. Finally Something Good bounced into Before Too Long and we started the obligatory singalong.

Tonight was no one-man show. Kelly was surrounded by talent on all sides. From the amazing voices of Vika and Linda Bull on his right to his nephew Dan Kelly on guitar, sole New South Welshman Cameron Bruce on keys, trusty bassist Bill McDonald and The RocKwiz Orkestra's own Peter Luscombe on drums. None of them missed a step as they rotated on and off the stage throughout the night.

In fact, both Vika and Linda got chances throughout the night to sing lead on Kelly's songs, Vika on the cheeky My Man's Got A Cold and Linda on Don't Explain. They gave the set a real chance to spread its wings and Kelly a chance to sit back and appreciate the talents of his accompaniment.

Anthem after anthem was sprinkled into the set, including the track that Kelly wrote with Kev Carmody, From Little Things Big Things Grow, arguably Australia's greatest Christmas song How To Make Gravy and of course 'the hit' To Her Door. But his new tracks Letter In The Rain, Petrichor and Josephina were also a joy to watch live.

The packed forecourt crowd adore this man and his stories. Deeper Water was a true highlight of the night, evoking the common theme of water that surrounds us. When Kelly huddled up with his back-up vocalists for a bare rendition of Meet Me In The Middle Of The Air, we huddled up and fell silent. He didn't talk much between songs, but when he did, we chuckled: "Music helps you heal through the bad times, helps make the good times better... and helps with the housework."

Another glorious chapter has been written in the history of Paul Kelly. Leaps And Bounds completed a glorious set that combined everything great about a man that is a national icon.