Hunters, Collectors

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 8

Hunters, Collectors

Hunters and Collectors at the Carlton Hotel. November 20 and 21. Reviewed by Glen Perkinson.

Hunters and Collectors, arguably the best rock and roll band to emerge from the Antipodes this decade, wowed a packed crowd of several hundred at the Carlton last evening.

The $2O admission was no deterrent for those braving the sheep-pen confines of the bar-room to experience Hunters and Collectors perform songs from its new album, “What’s a Few Men,” and assorted items from earlier in its career. The transition from “primitive" Australian eclectic radicals to almost mainstream pop acceptables has come easily for Hunters and Collectors.

When the band toured New Zealand last year it was shaking off the alternative image and entering the rarefied airs of commercially accepted music with its hugely sue-

cessful “Human Frailty” album. It then shook off the image of earlier LPs like the first self-titled offering, 1983’s "The Fireman’s Curse” and the subsequent “Jaws of Life.” Now, it comes promoting “What’s a Few Men" and with the news that it is off to the United States. The band will leave us with memories that will not easily be shed. Last evening’s gig ensured that.

For more than an hour and a half Mark Seymour and the rest of the sevenpiece, blasted, wowed and enchanted the crowd. Seymour swaggered on to the stage and blatantly informed everyone that the group was here to play “our new stuff.” Without a second thought, Seymour and company — John Archer, Doug Falconer (drums), Jack Howard, Robert Miles, Jeremy Smith (French horn) and Michael Waters (keyboards) raced into the first track from the latest

“Faraway Man” was followed by another from “What’s a Few Men,” “Still Hanging ’Round.”

From then on it was more of the new and the best of the old. “Human Frailty” items featured and were a hit with the crowd. There was “Say Goodbuy,” the classic and much maligned “Throw Your Arms Around Me,” “Everything’s On Fire,” and the fantastic beat hit, “99th Home Position.”

The band journeyed further back in history to older albums and produced for its first encore “Slab” (or Betty’s Worry.) The interesting inconsistencies were that the band opted not to use its forthcoming single, and album title, “What’s a Few Men,” and standard anthem “Talking to a Stranger.” Nevertheless, hundreds of punters left happy and better for the experience. Give Hunters and Collectors a few hours of your time this evening — they start about 9.30 p.m.