Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts opens with HOTA double act in Tim Minchin and Tom Tate

History will recall the first concert at HOTA as a defining moment in our city’s coming of age — a magical night of music and mirth that earned everyone involved a perfect score of 10.

THE Coast set itself a new gold standard on Saturday night with a smart arts celebration that shouted a message to the world — there’s nowhere on earth like our stunning new Home of the Arts.

Perfect people aren’t real and real people aren’t perfect — but as HOTA’s for-one-night-only Timmy and Tommy Variety Spectacular proved, they live together in perfect harmony on the Gold Coast.

Guitarist Jak Housden (The Whitlams) and Tim Minchin perform on the new outdoor stage at the Home of the Arts (HOTA). Picture: Lexi Spooner.

History will recall the first concert at HOTA as a defining moment in our city’s coming of age — a magical night of music and mirth that earned everyone involved a perfect score of 10.

From too-clever-by-half star Tim Minchin and his brilliant band (including The Whitlams’ Jak Housden) to the good-vibed and grateful for their free ticket crowd of 3372, beaming staff, food and beverage options, parking provisions, clear night sky, BYO chair policy, gorgeous sound, huge video screens, suitably flashy light show and fireworks finale, HOTA is off to a spit-spot start.

Tim Minchin rocks the Home of the Arts (HOTA). Picture: Lexi Spooner.

As masterful as he is mischievous, comedian, pontificator and composer Minchin’s performance was everything we’d hoped for — and more.

Musically, the star and his band didn’t miss a beat.

Minchin’s voice is versatile, his range deliciously surprising at times as he twists his tongue and tonsils around Dr Seuss-ly fun and ferocious raps, rants and rhymes, his elocution so exquisite there’s not a mondegreen in earshot.

Tim Minchin at the Home of the Arts. Picture: Lexi Spooner.

The set opened with “one you’ve never heard”, If This Plane Goes Down, before a best-of punctuated by comic rants (Trump a recurring target) and wickedly wise words.

F Sharp, Rock n Roll Nerd, Woody Allen Jesus, Prejudice, Drowned, Confessions, Cheese, When I Grow Up, Leaving LA, Seeing You and the aptly titled Feels Like Going Home, Minchin’s body of work is as varied — and discerning — as his fans.

Which is precisely why Minchin had to play with Tom.

#oldmatetommytate welcomes crowds to HOTA for Tim Minchin's opening night concert. Picture: Tyronne Fitzgerald.

His relentless digs at #oldmatetomtate began with a riff that checked off The Spit, development, cruise ships and the fact “Old Mate Tommy Tate” would have preferred Pink opened HOTA’s outdoor stage instead.

The touch-ups, which kept rolling on between songs, might have bordered on bullying if the Mayor hadn’t taken them on the chin with such astonishing good grace.

Tim Minchin chats to a security guard between songs during his show on the new outdoor stage at the Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts. Picture: Lexi Spooner.

Cr Tate won roars and applause when Minchin went in for dig No. 999 in the latter half of the show.

“Old mate Tom Tate ... is he still here or has he gone home?” he teased.

“I’m over here, you dickhead,” Cr Tate shouted from the crowd.

Only on the Gold Coast!

Tim Minchin performed a free show for 3372 fans to christen the Gold Coast’s new Home of the Arts. Picture: Lexi Spooner.

“For me, this is proof that on the Gold Coast, when it comes to Home of the Arts, we have punched above our weight,” Cr Tate told the Bulletin.

“This venue is world class. And we did it all with Gold Coast heart and soul.

“It’s a wonderful moment in history for the Gold Coast and it’s only the beginning.

“Amazing band, amazing night, amazing venue — but Pink would have been better,” he added with a raised eyebrow and a wry smile.

Tim Minchin’s HOTA show culminated in a fireworks finale. Picture: Supplied.

As our Mayor is keenly aware, making him the butt of a running gag was a gift to the Goldie from Minchin — one sure to keep on giving.

Consider it a loud, proud proclamation to the arts and culture world — Tom’s dream is now the people’s asset.

Tim Minchin christens the outdoor stage at the Gold Coast’s new Home of the Arts (HOTA). Picture: Lexi Spooner.

FOOTNOTE:

# Speaking of imperfect, the “very nice journalist” from the “Gold Coast Chronicle” has Hail Mayor-eed herself ragged and amended the public record after Mr Minchin kindly brought it to her — and the world’s — attention that she had confused His Cleverness’s expletive-loaded Pope song with his void of bad language Cardinal Pell number in her tabloid preview of his performance.