Del Amitri Play Melbourne For The First Time in 32 Years

Del Amitri only ever came to Australia once before. The year was 1990 and some club gigs were added to a promo tour.

Since that last time, pretty much the entire Del Amitri history has happened between the two tours. The 1990 visit was to promote their second album ‘Waking Hours’. (Incidentally, nothing from the self-titled debut survived on the current setlist).

In 2002 Del Amitri released their sixth album ‘Can You Do Me Good?’. Again, nothing from that survived for the current tour.

In 2021, Del Amitri released their first new music in 19 years, ‘Fatal Mistakes’. That was the focus of this tour with eight songs in the set. Surprisingly, the new songs flow perfectly with the old.

Del Amitri is very much about song structure. Their fanbase is there to listen, not dance … and that’s how the night went. There were maybe three songs where the audience rose. ‘Nothing Ever Happens’ was the big singalong moment. The first hit ‘Kiss This Thing Goodbye’ didn’t even manage to get this audience to their feet (although a few diehard got up to dance). ‘Roll To Me’, their biggest US hit, got the first real signs of a pulse from the audience.

Justin Currie formed Del Amitri in 1980. Iain Harvie joined in 1982, well before the first album and has been the creative force with Currie ever since. Andy Alston played on the second album but was a member of the band for the third. Ashley Sloan arrived (and then left) for ‘Some Other Sucker’s Parade’ in 1997) and was back for the 2021 album ‘Fatal Mistakes’. Kris Dollimore did a Timothy B. Schmit and arrived for the final album but was still around for the reunion one. In and out of the past 30+ years these guys have history and play as a band.

If Del Amitri placed the two new songs in the encore in the main set and came back with a short sharp ‘Empty’, ‘Nothing Every Happens’ and ‘Be My Downfall’ the finale would have packed a bigger punch.

Not that the audience we complaining. This crowd loved this band so hopefully they won’t leave it another 32 years to return.

Del Amitri setlist 24 February 2023

When You Were Young (from Change Everything, 1992)
Musicians and Beer (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
All Hail Blind Love (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Always the Last to Know (from Change Everything, 1992)
Not Where It’s At (from Some Other Sucker’s Parade, 1997)
Kiss This Thing Goodbye (from Waking Hours, 1989)
Surface of the Moon (from Change Everything, 1992)
Mockingbird, Copy Me Now (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Driving With the Brakes On (from Twisted, 1995)
Missing Person (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Move Away Jimmy Blue (from Waking Hours, 1989)
Roll to Me (from Twisted, 1995)
You Can’t Go Back (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Here and Now (from Twisted, 1995)
This Side Of The Morning (from Waking Hours, 1989)
Lonely (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Spit in the Rain (from Hatful of Rain: The Best of Del Amitri, 1998)
Stone Cold Sober (from Waking Hours, 1989)

Encore:
Empty (from Waking Hours, 1989)
Gone In A Second (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Nothing Ever Happens (from Waking Hours, 1989)
I’m So Scared of Dying (from Fatal Mistakes, 2021)
Be My Downfall (from Change Everything, 1992)

Del Amitri have three more show to go:

New Zealand
25 February, Auckland, Auckland Town Hall
26 February, Christchurch, James Hay Theatre

Back to Australia
28 February, Sydney, Enmore Theatre

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