Having returned from Noosa, where they played the night before, Deborah Conway et al could be excused for feeling a little tired. Luckily the support act, The Blue House, gave night a fabulous beginning for Cup Eve in Melbourne, Australia’s gambling capital. They opened with a terrific set of their own material and also their unique and hilarious version of Fever. Blue House are releasing their second EP this week and are a group DC fans should watch closely.
Deborah appeared in the now famous red dress. The play list was much the same as the previous shows in this tour with the addition of the crowd pleasing Today I am a Daisy. It spite of the obvious fatigue, DC and band put on a great show. She was particularly chatty and even mentioned that her baby is due February 13, which is also Syd’s birthday.
Through all the shows I have seen on this tour Willy Zygier remains very much the unsung hero. His guitar work is nothing short of inspired, he appears to enjoy every note, and can always be counted on the remember the words to songs when DC has a moment of forgetfulness. Although Deborah makes the show, I urge people to watch out for William J. Zygier as he is equally delightful to watch perform.
The only low point of the show was when am over-enthusiastic punter decided to impress with this dancing style. It turned out to be a cross between Peter Garrett and a plane crash, astonishing to watch and clearing a wide path through the crowd. Sadly this treat only lasted a couple of songs.
In all a good solid show, maybe not one for the history books but well worth the $12 and then some.
Mark O’Meara