THE POLICE (+ Fergie + Fiction Plane) - ANZ Stadium, 24/01/08

Fiction Plane, the opening act featuring Sting's son, I heard but didn't see as I was still outside chatting with friends, but what I heard didn't impress; the Edge guitar tones were there along with derivative song structures & nothing to get excited over... perhaps the acorn falls further from the tree than once thought. Next up: Fergie - a strange choice for this bill if ever there was one. She proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she has nothing going for her & systematically destroying songs by Wings, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin & others didn't help her cause on this evening celebrating real muso's as opposed to record label "poppets". She's already taken up too much of this review so let's move on.

Opening with what I thought was a fairly pedestrian run through of "Message In A Bottle" didn't bode well for The Police though Stewart Copeland (always the best musician in this band) was terrific from the get-go. Some primary coloured paint splash effects on the screens detract from the performance (appearing to be a reference to the 'Synchronicity' cover), however the visual director settles down for 3rd track "Walking On The Moon" (after Sting introduces the band & lets us know about his month relaxing in Byron Bay).

The sound quality always tends to fluctuate in an outdoor venue such as this (a huge football stadium) but the instrument balance is good even if the vocals are a little high in the mix. Andy Summers' playing is excellent & his tone (from a selection of Fenders) is nice & clean; "When The World Is Running Down" in particular featured some superb guitar work. "Wrapped Around Your Finger" was a wonderful showcase for Copeland's percussion skills, his varied beats anchoring & defining the song beautifully.

All tracks are performed well, though I couldn't help but feel I was witnessing some "going-through-the-motions" (especially from Sting who often appeared to be phoning in his performance) which is not surprising I suppose as these guys know what they can get away with to still satisfy the crowd & collect their not-insubstantial paycheck.

On a more positive note "Invisible Sun" was a genuine highlight as was the 1st encore "King Of Pain". In addition to the aforementioned tracks the set list was somewhat predictable (to be expected) with "Roxanne", "Every Breath You Take", "Don't Stand So Close To Me", "Can't Stand Losing You" et al all trotted out to the delight of the, mostly older, crowd. All in all this was a good show, though not a great one for my money. I was glad to have had the opportunity to see this band though I doubt that I would choose to again.

BABY ANIMALS - South Sydney Juniors Leagues Club, 23/01/08

Baby Animals were going great guns in the early '90s with a hit album, a second one just released & several high profile tours under their collective belt. That is until record company red tape stopped them in their tracks. Unfortunate then really that they weren't able to reconvene at any point in well over a decade, but with front woman Suze DeMarchi living Stateside & embracing marriage & motherhood it wasn't to be. Until now.

Apparently the band members had all kept in touch & all are present (how many reunions can boast that?) & upon finding themselves with the opportunity & inclination they started jamming on tunes old & new. It is the former group that most interests us on this occasion as this quiet run of shows is designed to showcase their newly-released 'Il Grande Silenzio', a collection of acoustic & stripped-down reworkings of old favourites. However it seems the band had other ideas, treating us to a full rocking set with just a couple of acoustic numbers in the middle to break things up (including a strong, yet almost plaintive rendition of "Don't Tell Me What To Do").

Opening with a fiery "Rush You" (its refrain of "I wouldn't wanna rush you" a tongue-in-cheek reference to their time away, perhaps) with Suze DeMarchi skipping & dancing like a whirling dervish across the stage as though she'd never been away & bassist Eddie Parise grinning like a kid playing his high school dance, the band are tighter than one would expect after so long & look genuinely pleased to be playing to a full room tonight. Of course the hits were always going to be the favourites & with DeMarchi strapping on a guitar for "Break My Heart" & "Painless" they were delivered in fine form. Dave Leslie's guitar work was on the money all night & he even got to share vocal duties on a respectful (if not completely "punk") version of The Damned's "Smash It Up" & sing lead on the first encore of The Police's "Next To You".

Unlike so much early nineties music, the band's songs have aged well & "Working For The Enemy", "One Word" & "One Too Many" all sounded excellent, with "Stoopid" & "Ain't Gonna Get" being particularly rockin'. DeMarchi's voice is as strong as it ever was & her performance was intensely watchable. After expressing their thanks & finishing with a kicking version of "Early Warning" we were told that they'd see us next time & with the band's renewed activity it thankfully seems that the wait won't be so long. Hopefully they'll have the chance to finish what they started & get their due.

(Photo taken by Vanessa Berry)

AMON AMARTH - Enmore Theatre, 06/01/08

I have been a fairly recent convert to Sweden's Amon Amarth & as such don't have all the song names memorized so this won't be my most authoritative review. After purchasing & enjoying their last release 'Fate of Norns' it slipped off my radar & it was only upon deciding to purchase a ticket for this show that I thought I had better pick up their latest, 'With Oden on Our Side'. I guess then that I am partly responsible for this band not being as big as they deserve to be. Their death metal template is tempered with a fine understanding & command of melody, they're not showy in the way of their countrymen Arch Enemy, but organically infuse their music with just enough to provide a dynamic greater than most proponents of the style can seem to muster these days.

Their viking themes are delivered with an understanding & sincere passion that elevates them above being mere schtick and it must be said that frontman Johan Hegg fits the profile perfectly: tall, broad & bearded he commands the stage with ease but isn't too self-conscious to flash a smile once in a while.

The band too are superb with a strong rhythm section providing a sturdy platform for the guitarists' effortless interplay. Their latest offering is plundered for all it's worth but plenty of time is also given to older numbers. All sound fantastic (this is a great sounding venue, it must be said) & seamless in transition.

The healthy Enmore crowd are extremely vocal in their reception & enjoyment of the performance on offer & don't allow the band much of a break before demanding "one more song".

As the band raised their drinking horns to chants of "skoll" from the crowd, they showed obvious appreciation for the reception they've received here at the opposite end of the earth on the final dates of their world tour. They have given us a masterful performance of the metal kind & we don't need to leave it in the lap of the gods (Norse or otherwise) to see that this band reaches the pinnacle it so rightly deserves.

(Please excuse the quality of the photos - they were taken w/ my BlackBerry)