Joe Camilleri & The Black Sorrows, Pinkerton Pendlebury @ The Gov, Adelaide 29/11/2024

Joe Camilleri and his band The Black Sorrows are one of Australia’s most prolific and enduring bands, having sold over two million records. Joe’s musical history goes back to the mid 60’s when he played blues and RnB in various bands before forming Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons in 1975. The rest as they say is history.

First up on stage were Pinkerton Pendlebury, names probably not immediately known here in Adelaide. Steve Pinkerton was lead singer with The Anyones in the late 90s, current drummer for Dallas Crane and also sings and plays guitar in The Ronson Hangup. Andrew Pendlebury is best known for being guitarist in The Sports, so there is a lot of talent in these two on the stage, as proven by their performance.

Steve told me prior to playing they usually have a band with them, but decided to do this show as a duo, and he was very anxious as to how it would go. Pinkerton Pendlebury started with The Sports song Don’t Throw Stones attracting a good gathering around the front of the stage, with Steve playing acoustic guitar and Andrew, electric. The sound was pleasant and clear. Already Nowhere came next from their self-titled album Pinkerton Pendlebury, released earlier this year.

Another Sports song, How Come got the size of the crowd around the stage even larger as people started to realise who was on stage. Another new song in Newton’s Theory struggled to be heard with the noise coming from the back of the room and beer garden by people who had no interest in the support band. Shame, as the songs and talent on stage were flawless. Suspicious Minds, a Sports song, was dedicated to Martin Armiger from The Sports who passed away a couple of years ago.

Molly, off the new album was the set highlight and the two finished with Who Listens to the Radio, getting the audience to sing the chorus. A wonderful set by two icons of Australian rock. If I maybe so bold, I wish they had played more songs off the new debut album and less Sports songs. The songs on the new album are great and would hold their own in the live arena. Steve can let his anxiety go; it was a wonderful performance.

Joe Camilleri, fronting The Black Sorrows, is a true Australian Rock N Roll legend who need no introduction. Walking on stage, dressed in white, he just commented “We’re gonna raise the roof” and put his sax on as the band ripped into the Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons hit, Shape I’m In. The band were on fire and as the song extended into a jam, they did indeed raise the roof, all the while Joe showing off his moves around the stage. Shelley from the new album, The Way We Do Business, showed the band has lost none of its great writing prowess. After Fire Down Below Joe finally relented and took his jacket off. “It’s getting hot up here” he quipped, then teasing the audience with taking more off. “No” he said, “I can’t, it’s science fiction under the shirt”. Harley and Rose came early and followed by yet another classic in Jackie Wilson Said. “I’ve been coming to this joint for fifty years and early on there weren’t many people here. We have done a lot of songs on a lot of records, a lot of covers and will do a bit from each tonight” Joe told us.

James Black on keyboards was the musical director and Tony Floyd on drums kept the whole thing together with his tight beat, but I am guessing there was no set list as they just seem to play whatever Joe said. Such is the quality of the band behind him, that they can play so many songs. Daughters of Glory gave Tony a chance to show off his class on drums with a short drum solo.

Joe is not afraid to play the blues, as a blistering cover of Since I Met You Baby showed, with some downright dirty blues guitar in the mix. Next up Joe laughingly told everyone “Clap your hands like this, but you don’t know the song” as the band played the title track of the new album Taking Care of Business. It didn’t matter hat it was a new song; the crowd were right behind him.

The Crack Up was astounding and Hold on To Me had Joe and James dueting on some smoky sax/keyboard blues. Simply wonderful. Joe has always been tackling other people’s songs, making them his own. The version of J.J. Cales Devil in Disguise really did raise the roof and Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey bought things back to earth, with a simply beautiful version of the song from the band.

Apparently, the band had reached the dreaded “curfew time”. “We do have a curfew and we want to be invited back, but maybe we will play a little over it,” said Joe. Chains finished to resounding cheers and The Honey Dripper bought the whole show crashing down, the band exiting the stage.
But Joe wasn’t finish yet. Bob Marley’s Stir it Up was rolled out. “We had a hit in Germany with that one” Joe told us. But it was obvious the show was still not finished, as Joe called for his sax from the band room. “Maybe we will do one more”, launching into Hit and Run. It was a blistering version that left the band soaking in sweat at the end. Joe thanked each of the band members and then said “thank me” pointing to himself. And we did.

Still not finished, Joe then raced to the merch area and signed albums and had selfies taken with fans. A truly humble man. A truly great performance.

Live Review by Geoff Jenke