Across the Great Divide (Silverchair+Powderfinger)

 Acer Arena September 8, 2007

I've been meaning to write a review of the concert for quite a while, so here goes. I have to admit that I didn’t get into Silverchair or Powderfinger until I saw them perform at WaveAid. I was looking forward to their new albums this year, and wasn’t disappointed. Dream Days… is quite consistent in terms of style and sound, a solid collection of songs. Young Modern is perhaps the more ambitious of the two, and was quite an eclectic mix of songs. My feeling is that Young Modern will be the more enduring of the two albums.

On to the concert, supporting the double act was The Scare, who had a tough spot for a start, but they didn’t make it any easier on themselves.

In general, the concert was quite impressive, both bands played a mix of their classic and new songs, but for me, a lot of the classics were new~! Silverchair played first and impressed with their intensity, though the crowd really only got into Ana’s Song, Straight Lines and Freak. I really also liked Without You. Silverchair did make me think about looking into their back-catalogue. Perhaps unattended; perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but it was quite lovely to see the drummer hold the Australian flag upside-down.

It seemed, however, the majority of people were there to see Powderfinger. Dream Days translated quite well. Their set seemed stronger, but Bernard Fanning seemed to worked the crowd a little better. The highlights were Lost and Running, My Happiness, Black Tears, These Days. 

I was hoping that they would play a song together, and wasn’t disappointed (they said that it was the first time they’ve done it). The played a cover of The Who’s Substitute.

For those who like this sort of thing, my best recollection of the setlist is below.

+++ +++ +++

Silverchair: Young Modern Station // Israel’s Son // Emotion Sickness // Without You // Reflections of a Sound // The Greatest View // Ana’s Song (Open Fire) // Across the Night // Insomnia // Straight Lines // The Door // Mind Reader //
E:/ / If You Keep Losing Sleep // Freak

Powderfinger: Head up in the Clouds // Waiting for the Sun // Love your way // I Don’t Remember // These Days // Lost and Running // My Happiness // Who Really Cares? // Black Tears // Bless My Soul // Sunsets //
E:// On My Mind

Finale: Substitute⁺
+ Performed by both Silverchair and Powderfinger.