You Am I, Magic Dirt @ UniBar, Adelaide 6/5/2022
The UniBar brings back a lot of memories of some awesome going to heaps of gigs there in the late 90s and early 2000s and You Am I and Magic Dirt is another one to add to that list. The UniBar located conveniently on the ground level now is designed for bigger shows to be played loud and it was great to be back in the thick of it with a sold out show serving as the perfect intro to the weekend. It is hard to believe that the last You Am I show here was back in October 2019 before the world went mad and as one of their song’s alludes to We All Went Deaf Overnight.
Drinks were a plenty as punters reflect on another week finding the best vantage point as Magic Dirt took to the stage. Adalita’s mood could only be described as buoyant and excitable looking to make up for their long absence from Adelaide. Their set was a pretty good spread covering their vast back catalogue opening with Ice from the Life Was Better EP. Rabbit With Fangs followed to which Adalita said “Adelaide, you’ve still got it” later asking when the last time the band played at the UniBar (Tough Love tour 6 September). Sparrow and All My Crushes rocked.
Adalita spoke fondly of Raul who once upon a time was the new guy mentioning a moment where he received an initiation by wrapping him up in a sofa bed. White Boy was followed by a story from the airport earlier in the day where a nanna asked Raul if he was in band giving him something she couldn’t take on the plane. The band tore their way through Shovel and Pace It with Raul posing the problem with Adelaide in that there are too many pretty people. Plastic Loveless Letters and Grab Your Hair were great moments and tribute to former bass player Dean Turner, “cheers to Deano,” Adalita said. Adalita asked the crowd if Adelaide was referred to as anything else beside ‘Radelaide’ which funnily someone yelled out ‘shit hole’ and the band calling her ‘Rad-alita’. Magic Dirt’s set finished off on Dirty Jeans and I Was Cruel.
The UniBar was absolutely buzzing and the room was packed waiting and anticipating the arrival of the mighty You Am I. You Am I were in cracking form kicking things off with Tuesday, Rumble and the amazing newish tunes The Waterboy and title track from their latest album The Lives Of Others. It was great to hear some of my favourite You Am I tunes Fifteen and Judge Roy to which Tim Rogers quipped “we hope you enjoy because you didn’t at the time”. It didn’t take much coercion from Rogers when he encourage the fans to “dance with the band” as they wanted to “share in your greatness”.
Oh boy! Great songs one after another with Who Put The Devil In You?, Sound As Ever, Cathy’s Clown and Billy. A band as great as You Am I can certainly be judged by the calibre of songs not in the set list as they do an abundance of riches to choose from each show. As Rogers pointed out his favourite part of tonight’s circus We All Went Deaf Overnight which was about the impact the pandemic stopping live music. Jokingly Rogers introduced Mr Milk as the song they wrote with Justin Hawkins of The Darkness. More new music followed with Rubbish Days and Rosedale Redux followed by the anthemic How Much Is Enough? and the classic Jewels And Bullets. The rock ‘n roll version of Heavy Heart was fantastic as was Gunslingers.
Rogers encouraging fans to dance with the band and “not for our egos” saying thanks for “giving us a chance” and saying they don’t do encores any more finishing on Junk and Berlin Chair. You Am I were fantastic making one very devout fan very happy. We’re looking forward to their return for Spring Loaded in August. G.B.T.F.L.o.U.
Live Review By Rob Lyon