MORCHEEBA
THE TIVOLI, BRISBANE
FRIDAY, 15 MARCH 2024
"Back in the day” - what does that even mean?
Tonight, a whole gang of us, with our Cafe Del Mar, Jamiroquai and Basement Jaxx CDs shoved in a drawer somewhere at home are reminded of the good times we had …. back in the day. Rest assured that on high rotation in our car boot CD stackers, ready for road trips to Byron or wind down vibes after a night out was our collective favourite, Big Calm by Morcheeba.
Released in 1998, the album managed to capture the attention and hearts of a large cohort of 20-somethings, and tonight that same gang of ahem 50-somethings are good to go and ready to see Morcheeba celebrate the band's rich catalog.
A lot of touring acts are playing mid-week shows here in Brisbane, as our shiny friends down south seem to get the weekend shows. So when we have a pre-Patty’s day beloved band in town, we’re up for it and you can feel it in the air as the sold out show kicks off with the sublime Ruby Jackson. We get strong Lauryn Hill MTV Unplugged feels from Ruby (also from back in the day!), and it’s a perfect way to ready us for the main act.
Opening perfectly with probably the most well known song and album's first track, the sublime and undefinable, 'The Sea', it's hard to hold back excitement for what's to come in the next couple of hours.
In 2024, Morcheeba is the magical and mystical Skye Edwards on vocals and Ross Godfrey as the only two remaining original members, alongside a superb bass, keys and percussion ensemble. The music slinks and snakes its way through the Tiv and grows and grows through the night.
All the Morcheeba songs we want to hear are joyously delivered, and even David Bowie’s 'Let’s Dance' (probably my highlight of the show, if I’m honest), Neil Young and the theme song from Neighbours are covered. All a bit of an odd choice, but all kind of feeling like the fit with a fun Friday night out vibe.
The lighting is amazing while Skye’s outfit, resplendent with an electric blue top hat, is as dazzling. Her silky vocals are bang on and the adoring crowd love every second of it.
You get the sense they’re on a roll, and I heard from a little birdie (who also plays guitar for them), that they’ll be back in 2026. Let’s hope they bring more new music down under too so we can continue our commitment to a truly wonderful group.