Reviewed onFriday March 11
Now well into the third decade of their career, The Charlatans have managed to outlast pretty much every act once seen as a contemporary, both in terms of longevity and recorded output. Buoyed by their 12th album, last year’s stunning Modern Nature, the band’s third visit to Sydney is a clear sign that it’s not done yet by a long shot.
Lead singer Tim Burgess cuts a striking figure, what with his bleach-blonde bowel cut and seemingly eternal youthful appearance. His voice sounds as good as ever, being able to move from high falsettos on ‘So Oh’ to more lackadaisical readings such as ‘Tellin’ Stories’ and ‘Talking In Tones’.
Watching The Charlies live, you see just how versatile and tight the musicianship of guitarist Mark Collins, bassist Martin Blunt, keys player Tony Rogers and drummer Pete Salisbury (ex-The Verve) actually is. Even though they would have played old fan favourites like ‘Weirdo’ and ‘Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over’ hundreds if not thousands of times before, they hardly feel cumbersome.
Certainly for a lot of the crowd, big portions of the night are about the various nostalgia trips the older numbers take them on, but it’s some of the Modern Nature tracks that really stand out as highlights. In certain ways, the anthemic ‘Trouble Understanding’, the jubilant disco of ‘Let The Good Times Be Never Ending’ and the rousing ‘Come Home Baby’ already seem like classics in the band’s canon. The crowd reaction definitely magnifies this thought further.
It is, however, the band’s big anthems that bring the night’s most riotous scenes. ‘The Only One I Know’ sees the roadie swiftly and comically remove a would-be stage-diver before the poor fellow’s even able to get to his feet on the stage. The closing one-two of ‘Then’ and ‘Sproston Green’ brings things to a euphoric, sweaty close.
The Charlatans have experienced a lot of ups and downs throughout the years. Right now, it definitely seems like they’re riding high and loving it. Long may it continue.
