James Reyne & Ella Hooper @ Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide 26/8/2023
James Reyne is synonymous with having provided the soundtrack to endless Australian summers. Partnering with Ella Hooper, the Way Out West tour brought those 80s and 90s summer vibes to Tarntanya/ Adelaide.
Returning to the Festival State for the second time in 2023, Hooper was a ray of sunshine as she opened the show. Backed by Mic Hubbard (guitar) and Sean Johnson (keys), she treated us to a snapshot of her current album, Small Town Temple. Embracing her country roots and deep connection to her hometown Violet Town, Hooper shared Small Town Temple, Words Like These, Old News, Grow Wild, Love in the Time of Cowardice, Slow Morning, Oh My Goddess!, and a “punktry” Break Up Blonde.
Now a veteran of the Australian music scene, Hooper’s musical maturity and versatility were evident. Her rich, velvety voice enveloped Her Majesty’s Theatre like a warm hug. While her vivaciousness shone through via candid storytelling. Her presence was a delight and elevated enthusiasm.
Following a short formal interval – the slightly peculiar consequence of having a rock gig in a theatre – ARIA Hall of Famer James Reyne and his seven-piece band took to the stage.
Without missing a beat, they belted out What a Pain in the Arse It Is, Daughters of the Northern Coast, Any Day Above Ground, Slave, and Hammerhead in rapid succession. It was an accurate representation of what was to come. All killer and no filler!
Hooper then briefly returned to the stage for a duet of Way Out West with Reyne. The pair released the updated version of The Dingoes classic earlier, which spawned the birth of the Way Out West tour.
From here, Reyne delved into arguably the highlight of the evening. Australian Crawl classics Downhearted, a spine-tingling version of Reckless, and The Boys Light Up had us singing along and itching to get up and dance.
With such a comprehensive discography from his solo work and Aussie Crawl, there was plenty left in the tank to choose from. Nobody left disappointed with a set list also containing A Little Ol’ Town South of Bakersfield, Motor City (I Get Lost), Unpublished Critics, Motor’s Too Fast, Errol, Water, Water, Oh No Not You Again and Fall of Rome. The one-song encore of Things Don’t Seem was the cherry on top of a superb gig.
With nearly fifty years of experience in the music industry, Reyne’s talent as a singer/ songwriter/ musician is undeniable. Not even a cold could diminish his ability to put on a rocking show. It was a stellar trip down Oz rock memory lane.
Live Review By Anita Kertes