Guy Sebastian and the MGs “The Memphis Tour” – Live Music Review

(Included throughout the article are some pictures I snapped during the concert; they’re not the best quality, but hey, multimedia) 

EDIT: A very special thanks to Cyn for her kind email giving me the various names I was missing from this article     

      

What do Guy Sebastian, the original Australian Idol winner and wearer of the mini-afro, and the original Blues Brothers band have in common?  Quite a great deal surprisingly.  Sebastian, after appearing to be little more than another generic pop-clone churned out by today’s obsession with reality television, has finally managed to find his niche in the genre he grew up loving; Soul. 

Travelling to Memphis in the good ol’ US of A, Guy recorded an album with the original Stax Band AKA The Blues Brothers Band AKA The MGs (from Booker T and the MGs); suffice to say that these guys have been around for a long time, and have been involved in a tonne of hits since the 60s, including Green Onions, Soul Man, Try a Little Tenderness, and Hold On! (I’m Coming).

After recording Sebastian’s ‘Memphis Album’, the MGs decided they’d go on a tour of Australia with our Guy. Which is how I found myself driving to Newcastle from Sydney yesterday afternoon, going to see a singer I didn’t like perform with a band I had no interest in, and all in a genre I didn’t particularly like to boot.  With all that negativity in mind, what I found came as a bit of a surprise.

As with concerts of any kind, it was felt that the audience had to be warmed up before the main act; so with this in mind Sebastian’s backup singer (and former 90s boyband CDB member) Gary Pinto, as well as  guitarist Carl Dimataga, came out to regale us with some of Pinto’s own songs.  This delivered the first shock of the night, in that they were actually pretty decent.  Pinto came across as quite a songwriter, and his voice is very powerful; it’s just a shame that his facial expressions while hitting some of the high notes were absolutely painful to watch.  The guitar work was also quite good during this set.  Unfortunately Pinto’s interactions with the crowd felt a little strained, and he stumbled a great deal when talking about the meaning behind some of his songs; hopefully this was just a bit of stage fright, and will be ironed out in time.

Finally, after a ridiculously lengthy break, the main act began.  Opening with some of the Blues Brothers favourites that just about every living person in the world has heard, two things quickly became apparent; firstly that the MGs haven’t lost any of their touch despite the ongoing years; and secondly, that Guy Sebastian has an incredibly powerful voice rarely showcased in his previous, more radio-friendly efforts.

As an (extremely) amateur guitarist myself, the main highlight of the night for me was always going to be watching Steve ‘the Colonel’ Cropper (inarguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time) and bass player Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn showing their mastery of their respective instruments; and yet, despite watching Cropper play so fast that his hands appeared to be melting, my eyes and ears kept being drawn back to Sebastian himself.

From the first time the microphone was in his hand, Guy Sebastian showed that he was entirely in his element.  From his incredible vocal work, to his dance moves, to his interactions with the crowd and the fact he wasn’t afraid to have a laugh at himself; Sebastian had a stage presence I have rarely seen in established performers twice his age.  As important as this confidence in himself however, was the obvious esteem with which his band members obviously held him; Cropper, Dunn, Lester Snell, and Steve Potts have all been there and done that for a number of decades, working with the best and making hit after hit, and for them to accept Sebastian as one of their own says a great deal about both his character and his talent.

The MGs themselves were simply amazing to watch; from guitar to bass, organ to drums; all four played like men half (if not a quarter) their age, and seemed to be having an absolute blast on stage, sharing jokes with Sebastian and each other, as well as engaging in impromptu competitions to see who could strum the fastest during the guitar solo in Green Onions.  It is fair to say that, had Sebastian not been as impressive as he was on stage, the MGs would still have carried the show; as it was they just managed not to steal it outright. 

That is not to say that the MGs and Guy were the only ones on stage for the event; the aforementioned Pinto and Dimataga were backup vocalist and rhythm guitarist respectively, and the band were joined by two female backup singers (Dee Uleriuewa and Patricia Snell, wife of Lester) and a horn section (consisting of Ben Gurton on trombone and Matthew Ottignon on tenor sax).  The entire ensemble worked together like a well-oiled machine, even when Sebastian decided to change up the set-list so as to get the audience “dancing in their seats”.

Despite not being my beloved Metal, I nonetheless found myself bopping along to numerous old classics as well as songs I had never heard before, and some of Sebastian’s own work (which, amazingly, stood up quite well to the old classics).  Sebastian’s enthusiasm was infectious, and pretty much everyone in the theatre was wearing a massive smile for the whole performance, a feat as amazing as his ability to faithfully cover so many favourite songs while somehow effortlessly managing to put a unique spin on each of them.

While I didn’t walk away from this concert suddenly having the urge to buy Guy Sebastian’s entire back catalogue of CDs, I did certainly come away with a newfound level of respect for his abilities; both as a singer and as a stage performer.  It is hard not to be impressed with any artist who loves every single moment of what they are doing, and who want to desperately share this unbridled enthusiasm with the audience.  The MGs were the consummate professionals that they were always going to be, but with the added bonus of being equally as enamoured of being on stage performing with Guy. 

It can be an amazing experience to watch a show involving great performers; it is something else, almost humbling in fact, to be invited into that special place where the truly great artists share their love of performing with the audience on a personal level.  I don’t know when exactly between Australian Idol and the present day that he became this impressive a performer, but Guy Sebastian does not look out of place on stage with living legends such as the MGs; in fact, if this concert and his latest album are anything to go by, he may soon join them in Soul music history.

      

Opener: Gary Pinto (w/ Carl Dimataga): 6/10 (Entertaining, but lacking in stage presence.  Adequate as a warm up band, and will hopefully grow in confidence.)

Guy Sebastian (w/ Gary Pinto, Patricia Snell, and Dee Uleriuewa): 10/10 (If I hadn’t seen it in person I would never have believed I could rate Guy Sebastian this highly, but he has matured as a performer and found where he belongs.  Incredible stage presence, awesome range, and a self-deprecating sense of humour will ensure that his star will continue to rise.  The backing vocalists were perfectly suited to the task, and shone when given the chance to sing individually.)

The MGs (w/ Carl Dimataga, Ben Gurton, and Matthew Ottignon): 10/10 (Amazing ability overshadowed only by the almost youthful exuberance for playing the music; Green Onions in particular was awe-inspiring to both watch and hear, particularly with the improvisation at the end.  The non-MGs band members did not seem out of place in the slightest, and seemed to be enjoying themselves every bit as much.)

Overall Concert Rating: 10/10 (I will probably never live this one down, but this is as close to a perfect concert as I have ever seen; intimate, fast paced, upbeat, and energetic; Guy Sebastian, the MGs and the other band members lived the music in a way I have never experience before, and may never experience again.  Everyone in the building with smiles on their faces and humming the Blues Brothers soundtrack; you can’t ask for more than that.)

   

- Tim Sweeney