LIVE REVIEW + LIVE GALLERY:

You Am I, Dana Gehrman

The Tivoli, Brisbane

Tursday, October 22, 2026

WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS SEARLES (@christopher_searles)

Heavy Art.

Loyal to the cause, the biblical rain outside doesn't stop the God Blessed Fkn Lot of Us showing up to The Tivoli tonight for the first of two Brisbane 'Strung Up' shows, with You Am I in stripped back mode, accompanied by the wonderfully named 4-piece string section, the 'Electric Eel Orchestra'.

Using the 30th Anniversary of Hourly Daily as the hook for this tour, we all take the bait in the anticipation of hearing this beautifully tender, raw, poetic masterpiece reimagined in a way that maybe it hasn't been before, through the countless YAI shows we've been faithfully attending for many years.

We all know it, this album is a special one. There's a bloody good reason it hit #1 on the ARIA charts and was also critically acclaimed internationally. For me, it's a uniquely Australian work of art. At the time it seemed to hold a mirror up to our somewhat smaller and simpler suburban mid-90's lives, capturing a feeling of time and place. It always reminds me of another truly great songwriter like Ray Davies, and how he imagines two lovers walking hand in hand across the Waterloo Bridge in the genius 1967 Kinks single 'Waterloo Sunset'.

In honour of Ray and respect for Tim, I even made a pilgrimage back in the day to the inner west suburb of Glebe in Sydney, just to pay homage to one of my favourite song opening lines from 'Purple Sneakers' off Hi Fi Way... "Had a scratch only you could itch, underneath the Glebe Point Bridge, and now every boy in a knitted vest, has got some precedent". Ironically, there is in fact no Glebe Point Bridge, but there was a Glebe Island Bridge at some point - but that would be harder to rhyme with I guess.

The evening opens bang on 7:30pm with the hardest working woman in the Brisbane music scene, Dana Gehrman in solo mode taking the stage. How on earth someone can stand there with just a (gorgeous) Paisley Tele and a handful of beautifully crafted songs that sound timeless, and belt them out so confidently is beyond me. Dana is a ray of sunshine and whether she's playing solo, with her backing band, or standing alongside Danny and The Honeyslider gang, she gives it everything and is radiating joy and positivity with every ounce of her performance.

As the crowd continues to make their way from the bar to take their seats, the anticipation builds. Conversations seem quite hushed in that theatre style where everyone is a bit more reserved, and you're very aware that you're not attending a standard pub gig. I guess as far as I can recall, nobody ever sits down at a You Am I show, so we're all a bit in the dark as to how the night might unfold. YAI shows are nothing if not unpredictable, but in a really good way, not in a Brian Jonestown Massacre kind of way.

Right on time our evening's conductor Mr Tim Rogers takes the stage after the Electric Eel Orchestra tune up. Wearing an outstanding 1974'ish Gucci style coral coloured suit, ruffled shirt and zebra striped loafers, Tim seems to be nervous... but up for it, and respectful of the new waters that we're all entering, graciously thanking his band, and their evening's supporting musicians.

To cut to the chase, we collectively quickly realise that the Hourly Daily album isn't being played in chronological order, as many of these anniversary shows tend to go, and in truth the setlist doesn't actually cover the majority of the album. A little disappointed, if I'm honest, but all of the faves are there, plus a whole lot of other You Am I classics and a few deep cuts that feel fresh as a daisy with this new arrangement.

The night flies by, it quickly builds as the band warm up and the string section slots in beautifully. In a way it's probably a more faithful homage to the album than in standard balls-out You Am I rock mode. 'Hourly Daily' is sublime, 'Heavy Heart' has extra weight, 'Purple Sneakers' scratches our collective itch, and probably my favourite 'Please Don't Ask Me To Smile' is delivered with passion, defiance and that beautiful Tim Rogers sense of self-deprecation that we all know and love so well.

It leaves me a little melancholy upon reflection, wondering where the last 30 years have gone. But also so incredibly glad that I've had such a beautiful record to accompany me on the good times over the decades, and not so good as well. It really is an album that covers all bases, and I once again can't stop listening to it, and am convinced that You Am I are our greatest rock and roll treasures. But as usual, I still leave a You Am I gig not knowing what a Berlin Chair is.

YOU AM I

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS SEARLES

DANA GEHRMAN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS SEARLES