I’d like to officially nominate Saskwatch to support The Rolling Stones when they tour next year. The Melbourne troupe remains one of the best live acts around, and I’d pay good money to hear lead singer Nkechi Anele backing Mick Jagger on Gimme Shelter.
This was the final show of Saskwatch’s national tour, promoting their latest single Hands. And what a finish it was. The brass section kicked things off with an impressive intro to Not Ready Yet, which features on the Hands single release. They quickly followed with Your Love, still one of their best, and Two Hearts, which had everyone in high spirits.
The nine-piece recently returned from a European tour (including Glastonbury Music Festival), and their live show is better than ever. They’re more confident and seem to be enjoying it all a bit more – or maybe it was just the thrill of playing in front of a packed out home crowd.
New material Only One and Keep Me lost some tempo but that’s only because people didn’t know the words to shout along. Things picked back up with You Don’t Have, Alone and Reason, and then both the crowd and the band hit full party-mode with Don’t Wanna Try.
I Get Lonely featured an epic guitar solo and as expected they finished the set with Hands. By any indication from the single, we can expect big things from the new album (due out next year).
They didn’t leave us waiting for long as the band, minus Anele, re-emerged for an encore and belted out an instrumental rendition of Robbie William’s Kids. Anele rejoined for Second Best, which had everyone raving and walking out with sore legs from dancing.
BY CHRIS BRIGHT
Loved: The time-freeze during Second Best.
Hated: Not much really.
Drank: Scotch with Coca-Cola and ice.
