Whole lotta love for Great Big Sea

At Hillside this year Hawksley Workman closed the Friday night and he brought with him an arsenal of classic rockisms...he was cock of the rock that evening. I'm curious if he brought some of that strutting and preening to his production work with Great Big Sea because judging by their show last night at the GM Centre which was all fat bottomed end and soaring vocals they must have been listening to a whole lotta Zeppelin recently. The little Celtic band that could has morphed into The Who...well a kinder gentler Newfie Who... Whofies.
The place was sold out to the door hinges and the crowd in fine voice as the boyos took them through a series of sing alongs which included Brian Adams Summer of 69 and Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody... may as well have been in Wembley at that point...it was wicked and those kats do know how to entertain.
If the Regent is Oshawa's living room then the GM Centre was the city's kitchen party. GBS split the night into two full sets covering the hits and a lot of material from the new record Favour's Fortune. The single Hard Case was particularly strong. They showed their versatility as mult-instrumentalists switching to mandolins, flutes, accordions, bodhran and a range of guitars throughout the night and covering sea shantys, ballads, punked up traditional and radio rock. The harmonies were as strong and clear as a Welsh Mining choir.
The drummer Kris MacFarlane was "forced" to do his own bit front and centre, an idea that has roots in the sessions that GBS grew up with. He was left alone to pick out Bruce Cockburn's Lovers In A Dangerous Time.
After playing for almost two and a half hours the band did two encores including the folk ballad Gallows Pole (another hint as to the band's recent listening habits?) and I may add that if there is such a thing as an economic downturn there was little sign of it last night as the beer stands did brisk business. I may also add that Newfoundlanders are well accustomed to hard times and we can learn a lot from last night. When times are tough its family, friends, music and a bit of the drink that gets one through.

The above video is from a gig in New York.

Comments

[dave]

This was my niece & nephew's first concert ever! Now if only I could get them to come check out the locals hahaha