Icehouse in concert

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 6

Icehouse in concert

Icehouse, at the Christ- I church Town Hall audito- : riutn last evening and this I evening supported by Ikista. I Running ?time, 8.15 p.m. to 10.42 .p.m.x.c Reviewed by, i . Nevin Topp. ... ' i Iva Davies, the lead vocal- 1 ist ahd guitarist for Icehouse ] was criticised for working on , theband’s latest , album I “Primitive Man,” alone, dis- 1 banding the musicians. That ■;-] was considered egotistical in I some quarters, but Davies/ and. the new band showed i last- evening just how good •'■/ they were. - ' ’ . The songs from the new 1 album were the.peaks of the ,1 show. "One By One” and ’ “Street Cafe,” the second and

third songs of the set, seemed to be influenced by the English new romantic bands, while “Mysterious Thing,” was more funk-like in approach. , “Hey,.’'.Little Girl” was more of a ballad, but 'driving in its approach. % Davies. and- the new Icehouse; have? expanded their horizons away. froih heavy metal tactics of other Australian bands. The influences ■were more subtle,' even if the concert was loud. • . The ' album also showed' a j vocal resemblance between Davies and Bryan Ferry and David Bowie; but live, this was;not discernible. The surprise of the concert'

was the encore, “Gimme Some Lovin’,”- the Spencer Davis Group standard. -The only cover in the concert, it was a daring way to end an interesting, thoughtful ... show-'. '■■■ -■ ■ - Ikista returned as support, ... having opened the Joe Cocker, show Tuesday week ago. The band was. tighter last evening than for ;the Cocker show, but the members enjoyed themselves as ;" much. The'audience response ' •‘was’better, but lkisia’s sound i still -- needs. metre work to settle,inthe new .members. Davd Blackwell, the Vocalist, is strong' enough for the songs,'which shoiy .the band’s potential.' ’ ?