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10th April 2006 - State Theatre, Sydney - Australia
Setlist
- These Are The Days
- Get Your Way
- 20 Something
- Photograph
- (One Thing ? piano slap) into
- Frontin?
- What A Difference A Day Makes
- Nothing I Do
- 21st Centuary Kid
- Old Devil Moon
- (Gold Digger) into
- Wind Cries Mary
- You Know Where To Find Me
- Christmas In Australia
- London Skies
- Mind Trick
- Glad There Is You
- High & Dry
- Encore
- All At Sea
- I Get A Kick
- Could Have Danced All Night
Reviews
11 Apr 2006
from Tegan
The best bloody concert i've ever been too
11 Apr 2006
from Jenny
My favourite concert experience ever! Jamie was so enthusiastic and energetic; it really looked like he was enjoying himself and enjoying us as an audience. Jamie and the band are so talented; I have to say that the music and sound quality was better than on the albums! The encore was brilliant - way more than anyone expected, I think. Thanks Jamie for a wonderful evening!
13 Apr 2006
from Kate Freeman
When opening act Mark Scholtez and his band come to the stage, the sold out State Theatre gig is already packed out. Scholtez, an up and coming jazz singer from Brisbane, impresses with his irresistibly smooth voice and catchy tunes. Up tempo swing number ëNot What Iíll be Missingí and his new single ëLove Me For the Coolí were among the highlights of his impressive set. His debut album, out this week, is definitely worth checking out. When Jamie Cullum and band takes to the stage there are screams, cheers, clapping, and for me, relief. Being a Jamie fan from Brisbane, I have been waiting for him to visit the sunshine state; when his latest Aussie tour dates were released without a visit to Brisbane, I just thought ìstuff it, Iíll fly down to Sydneyî. It was definitely worth the trip. Opening number ëThese Are the Daysí revs up the crowd and gives the audience a glimpse at what is yet to come as he manages to knock over his piano stool. In the second song ëGet Your Wayí, the hip hop beat gets the crowd bopping and sees Jamie climb on the piano for the first time. They continue to give the audience a mix of old material and tracks off the new album Catching Tales with ëTwenty Somethingí and ëPhotographí. The improvised solos are superb as is Jamieís scatting. Jamie then starts hitting the piano with his hands and establishes a hip hop feel. He then gives a brief but irresistible rendition of Amerieís ëJust This One Thingí before getting into ëFrontiní. One of the many highlights of the set, ëFrontiní boasts great soloing, particularly from the tenor saxophonist whose extended solo covers the entire range of his instrument, including some admirable altissimo playing. ëWhat a Difference a Day Madeí and ëNothing I Doí follow, with the band members displaying their abilities, not only as sensational instrumentalists, but as backing singers. Then the band play ë21st Century Kidí from the new album. Jamie says that they donít often play this live, as it isnít a crowd favourite, however, he wanted to take advantage of the fine acoustics at Sydneyís State Theatre. I must admit that this song isnít one of my favourites from Catching Tales, however, tonight it was amazingly beautiful and one of the stand out numbers of the night. Then it was back to the reworked standards with the always enjoyable ëOld Devil Mooní. Following this, Jamie starts jamming on the piano with what turns out to be ëI Got a Womaní. The older members of the audience in particular enjoy this moment of Ray Charles but then suddenly, he starts beating the piano and rapping a la Kanye West, which was particularly enjoyed by the younger members of the audience. They play an energetic ëWind Cries Maryí before Jamie picks up an acoustic guitar. He then plays for us some of the songs that he has written while in Australia, including ëChristmas in Australiaí. Incidentally, he says that he used some parts of this song when composing the next number, ëLondon Skiesí. This piece also featured an extended percussion section in a Latin influenced/carnival style. The entire band put so much into their drumming that I am surprised they have enough energy for the rest of the set. But they somehow manage to keep the energy up with ëMind Trickí and the stirring ballad ëIím Glad There is Youí. There is then some more impressive solo piano playing, including the playing of the piano strings, before the final song and my favourite of the night, ëHigh and Dryí. The entire audience then gets to their feet and stays on them for the encore of ëAll at Seaí, ëI Get a Kick Out of Youí and ëI Could Have Danced All Nightí. Tonightís concert was just amazing in every way. Every musician on stage gave superb performances, all on more than one instrument, which perfectly complemented what Jamie was doing. The music that Jamie played tonight was the perfect fusion between pop and Latin, rock and jazz. He can really be thanked for bringing these older genres to a new audience and I canít wait to see what he does next.
13 Apr 2006
from Libby
Absolutely Gold! All the improv just brought alive all the music from the CD. Loved the drumming, the giant sax solo and of course the golddigger intro. I thought just the interactive nature of the whole thng was really amazing and i especally loved the song about rainy sydney Jamie played on the guitar...think that will be your next number one :) Cheers!
13 Apr 2006
from Melanie Mair
What a show!! It was my first time seeing Mr. Cullum perform live, and it definitely won't be the last... Can't wait til you're back in Sydney again Jamie, you're such an amazing live performer. Loved having the audience do harmonies in the State Theatre, that sounded magical with the acoustics in that place, and getting to come down the front at the end of the night just topped the whole experience off! Although the best part was hearing my fave songs London Skies and Glad There Is You live, i've said it once and i'll say it again, just magical... Credit also needs to be given to the other musicians that back Jamie up, just incredible! That saxophone solo done by Tom was fantastic. Hope you all enjoyed your time in Australia, can't wait til you're back in Sydney, fingers crossed it's very, very soon!
15 Apr 2006
from Nathan Kwok
Q. In two words, how would you describe Jamieís concert. A. Absolutely Phenomenal. This was the answer that I gave to my Jazz improvisation teacher the other day, when he asked about my attendance of a certain pint-sized jazz hybrid musician named ìJamie Cullumî. I have to say - this concert has gone down in my history book of life as the "most memorable night ever". It was absolutely amazing, and I don't think I'll ever see another concert with that much energy ever again. Except for Jamie's other concerts, of course. So there we were, a whole 2000 of us (sure it's not Blenheim place, but considering our small population...), all sitting in the grand Auditorium at the State, shouting Jamie on in typical Sydney style (which, I might add, is considerably better than the "typical Melbournian style", thank you very much). Dressed in a pair of bootleg jeans, white shirt and almost-formal jacket, he opens with "These are the days", sending the audience into a roar of applause. Unfortunately for Jamie, many marriage proposals were drowned out in the noise, and as a consequent, he stays a single man for the rest of the night. Moving on with a series of energetic numbers, Jamie eventually shows us his "piano-percussion" skills. Tappin' on the strings, slappin' down the keyboard-cover, and hitting... other stuff - It's comical and amusing. And when the audience starts to clap along? Well, let's say, Jamie jokingly wanted his hands to be heard. This percussive display evolves into a short, new-jazz rendition of Amerie's "One Thing", showing Jamie's trademark hybrid musical playing styles and musical tastes. But what made this really entertaining was his ability to drum on the piano, beatbox, sing, and play chords on the piano - all at the same time. He moves on through another series of numbers (including another display of Jamie's cross genre "style" with a laid back performance of Pharrel's "Frontin'") - each song as entertaining as the next. Jokes are made, personal experiences shared, and the whole performer-audience is broken down almost entirely - with the mood of the concert slowly becoming more intimate and club-like (to my delight - us under 18's don't much get to go and watch stuff in jazz clubs). But in true Cullum style, he brings out a drum and shows us the "Carnivale" that usually only comes around once a year at the Mardi Gras. And it's fantastic. You're sweating like a pig in excitement. It's just exhausting watching him play the god-damned thing. Fantastic, but oh-so-exhausting. It's just you, Jamie and his drum. And the fantastic band of course (don't worry, Jamie doesn't get all the love!). For the second half of the concert, he gets everyone on their feet - telling the poor buggers in the cheap seats at the back (they were all the same price, Jamie!) to run up the front. The ground floor Audience becomes a mosh pit of bright-eyed Uni students, middle-aged couples and even an elderly lady. This has become no ordinary jazz concert. It's as "rock" as you can get. As time goes on, you wish that the concert would never end. You're thouroughly curious about his rendition of Kanye West's "Gold Digger", in awe in his gravity defying jumps and stunts, and wondering how he makes playing the piano with unconventional positions, limbs and piano stools sound so bloody damn good. Thus, my point. You don't want to leave. Being the foolish 14-year-old I am, I was tempted to just stay in the theatre until everyone left, and see if I could make a paper plane and throw it to Jamie and his band, get signatures, and get it thrown back to me. But, my logic got the better of me, and I decided to wait until I was older and get autographs at the East Coast Blues and Roots festival. Hopefully the whole band is still the same. I want to recreate this night of my life. The night that I spent 4 months of my allowance to pay for my brother and I to go see Jamie. And it was worth every penny - I'd do it all again. However, despite the overall fantasticity (not a word, I know) of the concert, and the energy of the crowd - I wished he would of played more stuff off Pointless Nostalgic (It Ain't Necessarily So!!), and some of the really "bar-like" tracks like "7 Days to Change Your Life" and "But For Now". But I'm sure he has reason for cutting them out, as all travelling musicians do. In conclusion, the Sydney State Theatre concert was absolutely mind-blowing, and Jamie! You better get your ass back down here for another concert, right? Soon - promise? Oh, and we thoroughly loved your drum solo Seb. Phenomenal. So the wrap of Jamieís concert? As I said. Absolutely Phenomenal. 27 starsÖ out of 5. From the head of a sentimental 14 year old (with a growing envy of Jamie's "Jazz" lifestyle), Nathan Kwok. Visit my blog on http://spaces.msn.com/nathankwok/ Thereís a rather badly written description of the concert (with numerous spellinkg and grammaery mistakes, just like this review.), and... other stuff. We love you Jamie! (but not in THAT sense - so don't go getting ideas...)
15 Apr 2006
from Karla
I saw Jamie play live for the first time on Monday and it would have to rate as probably the best concert I've ever been to. He is so dynamic, with so much energy! From the upbeat numbers to the slower ballads it was just non-stop playing for over two hours including all my favourites. Just like I imagined. Kudos to his amazing bandmates too. They are absolutely incredible. Jamie was great with the audience, talking openly and sharing funny stories. I cannot wait to see him play again.
16 Apr 2006
from Amy
I will always remember the 10th of April as "Jamie Cullum Day"...why??? because I was lucky enough to have a double dose of Jamie on this day...during the day i saw him preform in a private concert for Foxtels music station "Max"...he was fantastically brilliant and had all us competition winners jumping and singing along...after the show for max i was fortunate to actually meet the man himself, i was so impressed with him, he chatted to myself and my friends, was only too happy to sign our cd's and pose for photos with us (even though his driver had been holding up traffic down the street waiting for him to finish with us for a while)he is a really genuine nice guy!!! The gig at night was the icing on the cake...i have never been to such an amazing concert...jamie has such a great and powerful voice and he played the piano in his usually brilliant unique way...he continually inspires me to play the piano myself...so thanks Jamie!!! I cant forget to mention the band...they were also brilliant- good work guys!!! i must alos give a special mention to Jamie's "Carnival" take on London Skies...i thought that was fabulous...also his encore was brilliant...he got everyone in the sold out state theatre up on their feet and told them to jump...the floor and walls literally shook!!! So congrats Jamie on an outstanding performance...come back soon...!!!!