Les is more: everyone is searching for the meaning of life - TISM at Sydney Opera House!

The last time I saw TISM was in 1994 at The Big Day Out (Soundgarden, Ramones, and Bjork headlining!) They played on The Horden stage and I had no idea what to expect and they blew my mind! It was a wild show, I stayed near the back, my bf at the time right up front grabbing the guys as they surfed the crowd and mucked about with everyone! I loved their costumes, all black in this instance with the classic face mask. 

I was thrilled when the Opera House show was announced. Andrew is also a huge fan, but those first tickets sold our fast and we missed out. We were amused by the venue, Sydney Opera House seemed a little high brow for TISM but that added to the attraction, when the second show came up we were lucky enough to get seats...phew! Friends also got tickets to the same show, so this added to the excitement.

Leading up to the show we were talking about it, but couldn't believe the amount of blank faces when we mentioned TISM. Some people immediately were wow that's amazing, whilst most needed who they were to be explained...which is not difficult but you do sound a little odd.

After a great meal at Circular Quay, Whalebridge - highly recommend - we headed to the Opera House. We had already seen a huge group of the TISM fanclub walking towards the venue, dressed from tuxedos to TISM masks and tracky daks, they were shouting and clapping, 'TISM are wankers' - this perfectly set the tone for the evening.

I love shows at Sydney Opera House, it is always a thrill that never wears thin. It is a stunning venue. We had good seats, the final row of the first section towards the middle. Andrew did very well with these. The anticipation of a show, watching everyone file in is another thrill I will never tire of. The crowd was a mix of young and old, hip and bogan, such is the pull of TISM.

After the wonderful Welcome to Country that the House does so well, things started.

Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber played, we were at the Opera House after all including some TISM songs, and then a choir walked on to the stage - The Sydney University Madrigal Society and sung a beautifully executed operatic version of Philiip Glass's Arse. They were accompanied by Eugene de la Hot Croix Bun on the Opera House organ!

As they were finishing the boys (well they would be in their 50s and 60s now) came out in the most spectacular outfits. Large black smock type dresses with a tall pointy silver hat looking a little like the sails of the Opera, or a bishop or the KKK...so you know, on message!

And we went straight into (He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River - or as it is also know, I'm on the drug, I'm on the drug...that killed River Phoenix.

It's a fave and it has one of the most prophetic lines in musical lyrics:

"Now I'm bored and there's no stopping

I need another celeb to fill a coffin

Where'll I get my next drug action?

Odds on it'll be Michael Jackson"

With this we were on our feet and dancing and singing/shouting. The crowd were loving the night, it was a buzz. Probably one of the best crowds we have been in for a long time.

During this Ron Hitler-Barassi 'fell' into the crowd and seemed to struggle to get up and when he finally surfaced he was only partially dressed and his hat was gone, and now placed firmly on the head of a happy punter - this happened the night previous, so part of the gig, but still fun!

There was plenty of crowd surfing, antics, hilarity, and everyone was just loving it.

Punk, rock, political, silly, quirky and utterly mesmerising. With them doing their usual dance moves for each song, they always had stamina, but at their age, they were fighting fit!

About halfway through large puppet sized versions of their outfits came out and added to the spectacle on stage.

On more than one occasion Humphrey B Flaubert crowd surfed all the way to the back, and we got to get up close and personal with him.

For such an anti-establishment band, playing the Opera House was laden with a lot of irony. They had a huge crew looking after them as they moved throughout the audience.

After playing Machievelli and the Four Seasons, we got best hits and deep cuts until the show ended after 80 mins. Exactly as you wished and hoped!

We danced, we laughed, we sang!!

This was a concert for the ages, and we all left on a high! 

Setlist

Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 - Samuel Barber

Into with Jung Talent Time, Garbage, All Homeboys are Dickheads

Philip Glass's Arse - Sydney University Madrigal Society

The Art/Income Dialectic - Eugene on the Opera House organ

(He'll Never Be An) Ol' Man River

Russia

Diatribe

Garbage

Lose Your Delusion II

All Homeboys Are Dickheads

!UOY Sevol Natas

What Nationality is Les Murray?

Saturday Night Palsy

Strictly Loungeroom

Play Mistral for Me

How Do I Love Thee?

I'll 'ave Ya

Jung Talent Time

Greg! The Stop Sign!

Aussiemandias

I'm interested in Apathy

Whatareya?

Encore

Old Skool TISM

Defecate on MY Face

Give Up for Australia

SHE'S SO UNUSUAL: She's an International Treasure - CYNDI LAUPER IN CONCERT

I have loved Cyndi Lauper since she burst onto the scene in 1983, I was 12. I was always drawn to the unusual, and she certainly was, she said so herself!

It was her voice, the music, the colour, the clothes, and the fun she was definitely having. Girls Just Want to Have Fun was an anthem then, although I didn't know that, and it still is.

When she announced this tour and it was coming to Newcastle I was excited, but then I found out it was at The Shed, I hate that venue. Some friends were thinking of going, but that fell through and I decided I would get a ticket and go solo. But then other friends decided to go and invited me, yay! And we got some really decent seats, especially given it was pretty last minute.

Because it was last minute and because it was the Monday after the Writer's Festival weekend, I hadn't really thought about expectations. We arrived and caught the last 2 songs from The Veronicas, and they seemed like a tight group with good voices.

During the break we sat and took in the crowd, a real range of ages from much older than us to young kids and everyone in between. There was a lot of dressing up and colour and so much laughter and joy. It was contagious and fun to be within. We were in the 12th row which was pretty close. Behind us was a lady with the exact same cut and colour from Girls Just Want To Have Fun film clip, it was her own hair and I was super impressed and gave her two thumbs up, lol!

I read a review a few days later that said it was more than your average concert, and that was an understatement.

The vibe was high as they played a video montage of her career, and the enormity of Cyndi as an artist really sank in, I got emotional and very excited.

The huge glitter bombs popped on stage and she appeared and got straight into She Bop, the perfect opener. We were on our feet and in awe.

In fact, the first 4 songs, She Bop, Goonies theme, When You Were Mine (which Prince wrote for her) and I Drove All Night, showed the powerhouse singer and range in style that she has. 

Each song had videos made to go with it which added to the spectacle and her band were really tight. They were a mix of young and old and all were excellent musicians, who obviously loved being there and playing with Cyndi.

But Cyndi, she was amazing!

Almost unbelievably so.

She looked great, sounded fantastic, and told many amusing and interesting stories in between the songs. Stories of her life, her feminism, her songwriting and more. 

And that accent, absolutely adorable.

ONce she swore, looked into the audience and saw kids and apologised, she was very humble and sweet.

She spoke about Molly and his support but then also mentioned he had been cancelled, which is not exactly true but close, lol.

She spoke about women in rock and how elder statesmen in the industry were dismissive of her and she ratted off a list of strong women who came before her. This led into her singing Wanda Jackson's Funnel of Love!

The concert was incredibly arty, and she spoke about that, from the set design, to the costumes, to the videos, it was as visual and it was musical. 

She wore this amazing flowing white dress during I drove all night, to which old cars were projected, very clever. She said she wrote that, because there were so many songs about men and cars, why can't a woman write one too!

There were many costumes changes, some funky and cute, and some extravagant and mesmerising.

She wore a washboard dress to Iko Iko, so she could get her rhythm on.

For the haunting, Sally's pigeons, she wore a dramatic black dress, but pulled off her wig for a pared back look. She wore many wigs during the night. During one costume change, the cameras were with her to see how it happens so quickly. She was full of praise for her stage, hair, beauty help, and for her band. It is clearly reciprocated too.

She finished the show with Time after Time, and a very rousing version of Money Changes Everything, but we knew she would be back for an encore, but we didn't realise how amazing it would be.

Just to the right of our seats, was an area, that we thought was a mixing desk, but no, it was a small stage, and for the encore she came down the aisle and went to that stage.

We were beside ourselves, we moved ever so slightly to be closer and if we had reached out we could have touched her. Grins on faces all round, we just couldn't believe our luck!!

She sung Shine, and then some fans started up and she reached into an old suitcase for a rainbow coloured long scarf, and sang True Colours and it was jaw droppingly good. Her voice, as good, if not better, it sounded as good as the record, truly beautiful and emotional moment.

Then she talked about a famous artist she had met, and I realised she meant Yayoi Kusama, and she changed into a red and white dotted dress and made her way back to the main stage to the opening strains of Girls Just Want To Have Fun. Her bands were dressed similarly and they pumped it out.

The evening ended with small cannons pushing out streamers of red and white into the crowd. Everyone was on a high, it was one of the best concerts I have seen I declared as we walked back to our car.

She fierce and authentically herself, she was a role model to women and the most brilliant performer; what a show!!!!

Setlist

She Bop

The Goonies 'R' Good Enough

When You Were Mine

I drove all night

Who let in the rain

Iko Iko

Funnel of Love (Wanda Jackson)

Sally's pigeons

I'm gonna be strong

Sisters of Avalon

Change of heart

Time after Time 

Money changes everything

Encore

Shine

True colours

Girls just want to have fun