The Whitlams (September 26th, Hamer Hall)

The Whitlams haven't learnt from Crowded House- when fans go to see you play a show two years after your last album came out, they don't want to hear a set dominated by songs from your last album. This comment applies even more so, given that they were playing with the MSO. They've already DONE two tours of album promotion. Get over it. I might be a bit of a biased fan, but I really don't like their last two albums. They aren't on par with Eternal Nightcap or Love This City. I was hoping to hear a set dominated by songs from these albums and I was quite disappointed.

That's not to say it wasn't a great show. Many of the Whitlams' songs are suited to orchestral arrangement and there were no occasions when the songs seemed overdone or the orchestra misplaced. And there were some classics among the songs in the set list- No Aphrodisiac, You Sound Like Louis Burdett, Buy Now Pay Later, Melbourne (which they didn't play last time I saw them at the Corner in 2006), Met My Match, Her Floor's My Ceiling (a beautiful song I was thrilled to hear with an orchestra behind it), Thank You (For Loving Me At My Worst), Made Me Hard and even Gough appeared in an encore. But the set was dominated extensively by their most recent album. The new songs were good (there were a couple of great ones), but didn't really show what Tim Freedman has stuffed up his sleeve- I would have loved to hear 1995, I Make Hamburgers, Band on Every Corner, Make the World Safe For You, You Gotta Love This City, 400 Miles From Darwin, Charlie No. 3/No. 1 and more.

So a bit of self indulgence sadly let them down. It seems to be the story these days for any disappointing show- you should enjoy yourself, but as a band you have to remember that you are only there because of the fans. New material has its place (and Crowded House worked out how to integrate it well and still respect their audience) and of course old sets need livening up. But no matter how sick of I Make Hamburgers the band might be, it's not the worst song in the world to be asked by a fan to play. Even with a symphony orchestra behind you.