EXCLUSIVE TOUR DIARY

Week one by Jon Coghill (Powderfinger's drummer)

Hi y’all people,

Here’s a brief update on the first week of Australia’s greatest ever rock n’ roll tour – the Powderfinger/Silverchair ATGD tour.

Knowing that it was going to be the greatest and largest tour ever, we decided to rehearse for four whole days. Four days is quite an effort for fellas with other important commitments. Most notably, we each had to fulfil demands from our respective fashion label endorsements (look for ‘Essence of Cogs’ in stores November) and demands for each of us to appear at local envelope openings.

After a week in the band room with the very talented organ manipulator and pianist Lachlan Doley (aka Rockin’ Rollie), we managed to pull together a set that we tested on the one and only pre-production day at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Along with Silverchair, we shared a day of testing lightshows, checking out visual effects, pulling rock shapes and practising arena speak* and with the help of over fifty crew we managed to pull together something for the first show on the 29th of August.

The show was great fun. Of course, the Newcastle audience showed how much they loved to rock and sing with reckless abandon. They were an awesome crowd for the first gig.

Nabarlek, an indigenous band from Arnhem Land who we had met the previous day, played first. Thanks to Reconciliation Australia we’re going to be meeting a lot of Indigenous mobs on the tour. The Nabarlek guys were lovely blokes. They put on a show that plastered smiles on faces. Their music was a touch like Madness with a bit of reggae thrown in and between their four singers and two didge players their harmonies were beautiful.

Next up was the world’s biggest rock band Silverchair (a title shared equally with another Australian band). These guys had returned from a European and American tour four days before and even though they were fighting jetlag they rocked the crap out of the place. They’re just great performers. I think we’ve known them for about 12 years now (they’re still only 19 though) and they’ve always been good on big stages.

The Newie crowd went a bit crazy for the guys and we nervously followed them on stage a half hour later.

We had a damn fun gig and the crowd were just as crazy. I think we were a little surprised that everything went so smoothly. A few days before we had decided to add a small raised platform to each side of the stage for acoustic songs and they worked a treat. I was a little blown away by how loud the audience sang Sunsets. JC, Lachy and I watched from the main stage as Darius, Bern and Ian did an acoustic version on one of the platforms.

Anyway, obviously I’m a little pumped by the gigs. But we’re having a good time.

Brisbane Entertainment Centre was next on the 31st August and 1st September. Both the gigs were massive and the audience for both nights were ridiculously loud and rockin’.

Blue King Brown played first on the Friday. They’re a pumping reggae/rock band with a Latin influence. Andrew Morris supported the next night and he rocked – bluesy-hoedown style.

The Silverlads and us had great shows too. They played a great version of ‘Love Your Life’, which is one of my favourites. I think they’re mixing up their gig every night so it’ll be interesting to see what they pull out over the tour. Unfortunately, I won’t get to watch their gigs every night as we spend about an hour warming up. You know, things like running a 1500m race and a half hour line dancing class (a specialty for us in the regional centres).

Anyway, if I had more space I could tell you in detail how great the Brissy gigs were from stage but I’ll save it for my public speaking tour next year. I’m thinking of asking Warwick Capper along for the support act/side kick spot. I heard he was looking for work and I’ve always looked to him for advice.

In short, the Brissy crowds ruled, but perhaps I’m biased.

Also, if you’re wondering why we haven’t had a jam with the Silverchaps yet, it’s because we haven’t had time to work one out. We’ve been bizarrely busy. We’re going to work on something in the next few days so hopefully we’ll have our s..t together soon.

I’m thinking a cover of Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton’s ‘Islands in the Stream’.

Gold Coast Convention Centre was next. The highlights of this gig were the intense smell of the cheese in our dressing room (it was the cheese, honestly) and Daniel ripping his pants on stage just before Bernie and he did a live cross to Rove Live. Ben stood in the background trying to get his sweaty bum crack into the shot but I think he failed. Next time we’ll try harder – two bum cracks are better than one.

Tonight we’re playing our first regional show in Tamworth. It’s a pretty vibing town from what we’ve seen walking the streets today. I think Bern was trying to purchase a ten-gallon hat at the saddlery. Hopefully we’ll all have a bit of a cowboy attitude by the time we leave. In fact, I’m thinking of buying a whip for the rest of the shows – just in case certain audience members don’t sing loud enough.

Anyway, it’s been a pleasure playing to so many people in the first week. Thanks to everyone who came along. Thanks also to the kids from Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts who we met before the show in Brissy and the legendary surfer Mark Richards who brought his family and friends to Newcastle. Best of luck to you all.

* Anyone can do it – just speak in a high voice with both hands cupped over your mouth for the large room reverb effect. Say something like – ‘OK everybody, do you wanna hear some rock’n’roll?’ You can make crowd noise after that.