Some people are into it, some people aren’t. It’s not going to change lives nor win or lose wars but for some people it’s everything and their whole lives are focused on doing it. Music can mean many things to many people. Maybe it’s a moment of joy or a sublime connection with all the good things in humanity or a bit of background noise while you are getting drunk somewhere chasing a mate. For however it is, Music can move people and very difficult to say how it’s done. When you see true professionals go thru their paces like last Thursday at Centerstage when James Reyne and Mark Seymour took on that small space high up above the bar, once again you are reminded, with a thump, what it’s all about.

Both those gentlemen have been around for a long time in their different spheres of the rock music scene in Australia and they showed last week that they still have got it, maybe in different ways, but they still can entertain in their own right. In the early eighties both Seymour and Reyne were both playing the same game but on two different playing fields. Reyne was the Countdown wunderkind with a string of hits around Australia and Seymour was an underground adventurer breaking boundaries in musical expression. However, both were still rockin’. Seeing them on the same stage, on the same night (even though they didn’t sing together) would have been unbelievable back in their heyday (almost two decades ago) but like all things mellowing with age, the acoustic platform helped to pave the way to an enjoyable evening’s entertainment.

James came out and played all his old hits from the early eighties and I personally had forgotten how good his voice was and also half of the tracks that he played, till the memories came flooding back at the start of another classic song. He and his partner on guitar did very well and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed the classics.
Mark Seymour came out with his pal on bass and started with a Hunters classic, ‘When the River Runs Dry’ and then proceeded to forget about his past. Really, I don’t think you’d ever expect him to do anything else other than doing exactly what he wanted to do. I’m sure he’ll be doing exactly the same for another few decades. He played songs from his three solo albums and a few obscure late Hunters tracks (“that nobody had ever listened to,” as he said in the press con before the show) and brought the house down with renditions of ‘Holy Grail’ and ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’ at the end.

The crowd was singing along in full choral unison with both James and Mark’s songs and even a few tears were seen on the odd cheek. Odd indeed on the cheek of a forty five year old man but once again Centerstage has to be applauded in their continuing endeavour to bring us quality entertainment. This week Darryl Braithwaite is back again for two nights to grace the place above at Centerstage. Friday Aug 27 is your last chance.