A Muso Life: The Review

So, having slept on it, I think I may be able to write a coherant review of last night.

We were lucky for so many reasons.
Firstly, we caught a much later tram, and as I sat there, stressing about not making the concert, I wondered whether they would start without us and whether we'd be able to get in.
Luckily, we were almost the last people there, but they let us in, right before they were to start! So lucky.
And our seats were at tables. There were about 18 small (read: 4 people each) tables and then behind that were stall seats. The venue is very intimate, about 100-150 capacity. It was just beautiful.

The vibe was very intimate, but electric. From the outset, Idea just had such class, such ensemble. They were in the zone before they came out. Songs they performed were drawn from their previous albums, as well as some from their upcoming gospel album, to be released later this year (I will definitely have to get my hands on that!). Also in the mix were some other songs (unreleased) and definitely show pieces. Nick went among the crowd to find the "new people" and serenaded a lady by the name of Donna (who incidentally was sitting very near me!). Lucky woman, I tell you! There was a song that "asks and answers all the big questions of life" (What is the meat that is really in spam? Chicken, lamb, pork, beef, dolphin...?). "An Ugly Woman Told Me No" was just amusing (poor Nick! :P )

I could go through every song and tell you that I loved every aspect of it....! There was an ABBA song that was redone as a ballad, Eleanor Rigby, a setting of some of Michael Lunig's poems. They did "Just Kidding", a number of Jobim hits, some awesome jazz tracks that other people had written for voice (including one stunner which included 'solos' in pure jazz style and oh-so-complex!), Fragile, No More Blues (so amazing to see performed after hearing it many times, especially on the Aural Studies cd!), Sister Sadie and so much more! I love all the songs, but there are a few I really love...it was great to hear the Idea version of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely" (which Andrew dedicated to his two little girls awww..! And there was audience participation involving us singing in parts!!!! Talk about interactive concert!), We Will Find a Way (complete with those cool electronica guitar sounds from Nick) and as an encore performance, "Man In the Mirror". It was also great to hear "His Eye is on the Sparrow" which brought back the memory of my first time I ever heard this group (on the radio. Incidentally, I only got interested in them when I heard this song - it was at a time a little while after we had to sing the hymn version of this song for House Singing!)

So, we all piled to buy CDs and get them signed and have a little chat to our new-found favourite stars! It was great to talk to them, even if it was a little while! I told Trish that we'd been to the Musica Viva concert last year (that's when we first started going!), we talked to Naomi and found out that she studied Classical Piano at the Elder Conservatory (there is still hope for me!!!!), talked to Andrew and especially Nick at length about....stuff. We asked them about their touring schedules (when they're heading to Perth...!!!! And I was even talking to them about doing gigs at Busselton, and as part of the Hale Visiting Artist's Programme! We agreed to go to their Perth concert and say hi!). We talked to Nick about how they met, what kind of things make the group, their experimentation with different keys, and Naomi's perfect pitch (see? It just gets freakier and freakier!!). We got photos with them (especially a big group one with Nick) and he promised that we'd get a big group one with all of them next time (in October).

So, we are definitely on the trail of following Idea. A concert that I greatly enjoyed - I am still buzzing and telling everybody what an awesome time I had!

So, here is a photo...more to follow when I get mine developed!