Only thing missing from our last taste of Sunnyboys
Cult favourites Sunnyboys have played their final Brisbane show before a rapturous audience – but there was a crucial omission that left our reviewer cold.
Entertainment
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If you grew up in the ’80s you’ll know there were two types of Sunnyboys: the tetrahedral ice confection and the ear candy.
Both have made a comeback in the past decade, and both we’ve had to farewell both all over again – including the Sydney-via-Kingscliff band in Brisbane on Saturday night.
An appreciative capacity crowd turned out at the Tivoli, and most seemed to be true believers.
While casual fans might only be familiar with signature hit Alone With You, the band received a rapturous response to pretty much their whole setlist.
“Main man” Jeremy Oxley, whose struggles with schizophrenia have come to light in recent years, let the music – and guitarist Richard Bergman – do the talking.
“We’ve been coming to Brisbane for 40 years, since the early ’80s” Bergman said, to the delight of the audience.
“To Cloudland ballroom, to 4ZZZ concerts... thank you very much for that, and for now.”
While Oxley’s voice is a little hoarse nowadays, his guitar playing remains impressive, and he cranked out multiple mean and intricate solos, ably backed by brother and band co-founder Peter on bass.
Their thumping rhythm section regularly rattled the foundations, and by the end of the set Jeremy Oxley had warmed to the room, thanking the audience and playing up to them as he donned shades for second encore The Seeker.
“Thank you Brisbane, thank you, thank you!” he enthused.
For the past decade they’ve been joined on stage by keyboardist Alister Spence, and his playing set the tone for the intense Gone.
And Bergman led the whole venue in singing Happy Birthday to Peter Oxley ahead of his big day on Sunday.
“This is my last chance to embarrass Peter on stage like that so I thought I’d take advantage,” he said.
Sadly, while they played pretty much all their top tunes, they couldn’t find room for 1984 single Love in a Box, this reviewer’s favourite.
Making it a double shot of ’80s alternative Aussie rock, Sunnyboys were supported by Huxton Creepers, whose frontman Rob Craw quipped: “It’s good to be on the set of Westworld here tonight.
“This is a beautiful venue. It’s got that old deco feeling.”
And the Creepers acknowledged the local music scene by slipping a passage from The Go-Betweens’ Bye Bye Pride into one of their songs.
Sunnyboys setlist:Love to Rule, My Only Friend, Trouble in My Brain, Tunnel of Love, To the Bone, Catch My Heart, Lovers (On Another Planet’s Hell), What You Need, Happy Man, The Stooge, Gone, It’s Not Me, Tomorrow Will Be Fine, Let You Go, Show Me Some Discipline, I’m Shakin’. Encore 1:No Love Around, You Need a Friend, Alone With You. Encore 2:The Seeker.
Sunnyboys’ Last Dance tour continues at Drifters Wharf Gosford (Feb 16) and Enmore Theatre Sydney (Feb 18).
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