In the five or so years that One Electric Day has been around it has become one
of Melbourne’s most treasured music events.
If there were an award for Most Well-Behaved Crowd At A Rock Festival then the One Electric Day audience would win hands down. This must be the most polite and appreciative audience in the country. Every single one of them paid full-price for their ticket. One Electric Day sold out months before show day. Unlike the never-ending list of international acts that rely on discounted LastTix to fill empty seats, the One Electric Day get in early because the snoozers are the losers.
Promoter Duane McDonald has designed an event people want, where they can bring their families to a safe environment and see Australia’s most iconic acts playing generations of hits over a seven-hour period.
In one day to have Russell Morris span 47 years in one setlist from his 1967 Somebody’s Image hit ‘Hush’ through to his recent blues trilogy, for headliner Jimmy Barnes to take the crowd back to the first Chisel album, for Icehouse and James Reyne to play only a complete set of songs that everyone knows, for The Badloves, who only had two albums but more hits than any band today, One Electric Day delivers a great value ticket.
Former X-Factor runner-up Dean Ray opened the show. Dean can really sing and can really play. It’s a shame he was knee-capped by a reality show that swept hi, off in the wrong direction at the start of his career. The One Electric Day podium gives him a showcase to right the wrong but that will be a long, hard slog.
The Badloves had a couple of years when their two albums ‘Get On Board’ (1993) and ‘Holy Roadside’ (1995) were all over radio. Their high impact time has given Michael Spiby a legacy of songs that have become the template of their setlist.
The Russell Morris Band with Peter Robinson, Mitch Cairns and John Creech has become athletic. These four guys have been playing together often and continuously for years. The band now operates as a single entity and is as good as it ever was. Like an athlete who always trains, The Russell Morris Band is match ready to take on a 10,000 audience anytime.
James Reyne had a special guest. Daryl Braithwaite just happened to be around for the day and joined James for ‘Slave’. At 67 years of age, it was impressive watching the former 70s pop idol wander into the crowd afterwards and still get mobbed like he was a 25 year old.
Daryl has taken on his own legendary status with 25-35 year old female fans. His 1989 hit ‘The Horses’ has become iconic to that demographic. Daryl was gracious with the fans, obliging their requests for selfies but then it was back to the sanctity of backstage.
Iva Davies has always kept Icehouse about the fans and only plays the songs they know. What is incredible is how many songs people know. This was one of Australia’s biggest 80s acts internationally. Icehouse scored serious sales in the USA in the 80s. When Iva made Icehouse a full-time touring entity again in 2011 the live show has been all about the legacy. Relentless touring as whipped this band in shape and a slot before Jimmy Barnes gave the headlining legend something to work up too.
Jimmy was obviously would up after Icehouse owned the crowd. I’ve never seen Jimmy Barnes work so hard for a crowd as his One Electric Day performance. One thing Jimmy Barnes will not let happen is to be shown up. The opening track ‘Love and Hate’ had Jimmy would up with no time to warm up. He slammed the first song down and he did not stop. 75 minutes later, Chisel’s ‘Goodbye Astrid’ was as strong an end as he started.
Duane McDonald had created something special with One Electric Day. When a rock concert is just about great music from great acts then it becomes a no-brainer for the audience.
Get in early for the 2017 shows next November. If you think you’ll score a cheapie on LastTix you will miss out.
