Fradam

Billy Joel. It’s near 24 hours later, and I am still reeling from the performance; I know not what I expected, but whatever it was, it certainly was not what I got. The word ‘Entertainer’ is more than simply the title of one of his songs — that is simply what he is. A year shy of 60 had nary an effect on any part of the concert (aside from a few more wrinkles on the face than I imagined, but it happens) - he was not glued to the seat, and carried himself with a verve that would make someone half his age jealous.

What sets Billy Joel apart from others is that in a career spanning decades, he knows exactly how to put a smile on the face of his audience. Experience borne from the time playing as a piano man probably plays a large part in that - and I suspect the crowd at Acer Arena was overall easier to please than those who were sharing a drink called loneliness. He certainly had us forgetting about life for a while!

Thanks to Sammie for the photo!

The lighting technicians looked like they were having the time of their life in the concert - even if some of their work was brought into question. The first thing Billy did at the concert was remind everyone in his New Yorker drawl that everyone was equal in the concert - in that at some point, or in some way, we all had bad seats… but that was okay, since he needed money from the sale of even those nosebleed seats. Even those who shelled out $349 for the front section had cause for alarm since there was a veiled reference to the sheer number of lighting rigs that lay directly above their heads. Hello sword of Damocles!

Here are some random thoughts from the concert:

- Billy is highly skilled with a microphone stand: he could throw, catch and spin it with any combination of limbs. He can also accidentally throw the stand into the audience. Oooops. The $349 tickets never seemed so worthwhile.
 - Just the way you are.. I love that song so much. Mmmm He also explained the back story to the song. I need one of those memory-wiping devices from Men in Black now.
- Jamie and Burnsie standing up for River of Dreams, only to get literally pulled right back into their seats by the lady behind them! How rude. Especially considering she was assaulting Jamie with her knees for the duration of the concert.
- Billy introduced a song as “a song you may have heard in church”. The opening guitar riff immediately identified it - Highway to Hell. That’s right. Most unexpected song, ever. Billy played guitar for it, and one of his guitar roadies of 30 years sang - and to his credit, I thought the guy did a pretty fine job at it too.
- Burnsie knowing all the words to We didn’t start the fire. JFK blown away what else do I have to say! So so impressed.
 - She’s always a woman to me. Just wow. I think even Billy was surprised with the amount of the audience that sang along with him; he drew away from the microphone temporarily just to sway and listen to the sound of it all.
 - Christmas in Fallujah. I’d not heard this before the concert, but learnt it was released last year. If you’ve not heard it, have a listen / look. Quite a powerful song..
- How do you get a lot of Australians to sing a song together? Waltzing Matilda began the second encore - he didn’t sing, but just played and listened.
 - Piano Man - the song of his life and one of my favourites .. just a magical way to finish the concert off; especially wonderful to share it with friends that love it too!

So, I’m still on quite the high (and was for most of the day at work..), and that has been only fuelled further with the news of the Face to Face concerts starting up again. That’s right, Billy Joel and Elton John together once more. Apparently it will be late 2009/2010 till they get Down Under.. but I am so there. If anyone else is keen, please say so!

2006 has been a year marked with many big name celebrities visiting Sydney, touting their audio wares in large celebrations of light and sound. U2, delayed by a number of months, Kylie, delayed by a bit longer. Billy Joel and Elton John rounded out the oldies group, and Robbie Williams represented for today’s pop. That’s not even mentioning Coldplay and Live either. For an area that is often musically entrenched in a drought, we’ve done rather well… but have we enjoyed it?

One friend remarked to me that one concert they went to a few months ago had the lead singer high, and lasted a brief 40 minutes. The Sydney Morning Herald recently ran an article on Robbie Williams’ recent sojurn, describing it as “indulgent and selfish”. That seems a pretty harsh criticism, but it does raise a question — what does it take for an artist to be satisfied with their performance? Is it the money? Is it the splendour of the concert? Is it the adoration of the fans?

If my friends are considered a microcosm of society, it seems fans are beginning to respond when their favourite artists aren’t performing for them, and that difference of happiness is resulting in some unhappy people.

I think myself quite lucky. Kellie took me to the Elton John concert a few weeks back for my birthday (thankyou!), and I was amazed by the performance…. sometimes you forget just how many hits someone has. Some of his more poignant ballads were ever more powerful when listening to just him and his piano, watching his aged fingers stroll across a plateau they knew all too well. He finished with ‘Your Song’, dedicating it to Sydney, to a throng of joyous fans. Whilst I know you can’t please everyone, I think he would have come as close as he possibly could have to it. He truly demonstrated what a showman he is, with all the style and flair we expected, and none of the uglyness that the media often portrays him in.

At one point, in the middle of the concert, he stopped to sign every single thing that anyone brought to him. It was clear that some people were disappointed as they were at the stage with nothing to sign — until one clever individual handed his ticket to Elton to sign. And sign it he did. Suddenly, the mass surged forward, tickets extended out to him. He signed them all; every single one of them. This is the same person who has had much publicised scuffles with the media, often reacting quite rudely and harshly to those who take up his time. But for his fans, he had all the time in the world.

Perhaps that is the difference between the old school artists; those who made a melody with a voice and a piano, and today’s pop-driven frenzy: people who made time for their fans, and people who sell to their fans.

Out of curiousity, what have your concert experiences been like? Have they changed over the years?