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Left - Gurrumul Yunupingu. Cover - Sinead O’Connor

Imagine being able to sing really well, world class well. Now imagine performing your favourite Leonard Cohen song your way, in front of eight thousand or so people.

Some of the most talented of Australia’s and the world’s best beloved singer/songwriters got to do just that, enthralling the audience at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday night with eclectic but unified sets of songs that meant something to each performer. Under a full moon the exquisitely fine and resonant voice of Gurrumul Yunupingu opened the night with Wipeout, followed by his Djarrimirri. Then we heard the magnificent Meshell Ndegeocello singing Pop Life followed by Ricky Lee Jones, original and occasionally fey as ever but with a maturity and incredible range to her vocals, husky and whispering in Moon is Made of Gold; her Cohen song was One of Us Cannot Be Wrong. She was in fine form, honouring Orchestra Victoria by wearing one of their beanies, and was clearly enjoying the night, as was John Cale, undisputed grandfather of spunk, funk and cool, who began with a singular version of Heartbreak Hotel. Ndegeocello made Chelsea Hotel absolutely her own, taking a few liberties with the lyrics and speaking some of the lines; she is an outrageous talent, on bass and in voice.

The other Leonard Cohen songs featured were If It Be Your Will by the splendid soon-to-be-megastar Dan Sultan with The Black Arm Band. Ursula Yovich and Leah Flanagan delivered strongly and delighted utterly, as did Shellie Morris with a magnificent Swept Away. A truly memorable part of the night was a rendering of Somewhere by Rickie Lee Jones accompanied by a recording by the unfortunately hospitalized Archie Roach. He would surely have felt the love, though, in those very beautiful and affecting few moments.

The John Cale segment gave us some fierce and densely layered funk married to classical opera partying with hard rock doing soulful wailing guitars; his music possesses the unpredictability, loudness and sudden silences of natural disasters, although he sings of manmade things; the directness of his lyrics sit stark against the texture of the compositions. With him and his band there’s no knowing where things will go.

Sinead O’Connor was a disappointment. Her distinctive voice sounded puny, not comparing well to the mighty vocals of Lou Bennett in The Tower of Song, and it hasn’t travelled well. Even in her signature song, Nothing Compares, she can no longer reach the soaring high notes. She didn’t appear to enjoy being on stage, scarcely looking at the audience, giving little, looking uncomfortable and singing mostly to her own feet. She sang a few crackers though, a song called Shitlist, Bob Dylan’s Serve Somebody and the wonderful Take off Your Shoes among them.

John Cale led his band and the orchestra, in Hallelujah, the perfect finish. A lovely night to remember.


2010 Melbourne International Arts Festival
Seven Songs To Leave Behind

Venue: the Arts Centre, Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Date/Time: Sat 23 Oct at 7.30pm Gates open 6.30pm
Duration: 3hr plus intervals
Tickets: $110 - $25
Bookings: the Arts Centre 1300 182 183 | www.theartscentre.com.au