Michael Franti And Spearhead, Blue King Brown
Thebarton Theatre
Sun 17 September


It could've been predicted. Michael Franti is political activist first, musician second - without question, I mean that as a compliment. Franti's greatest musical asset is simply his heart - his passion for causes that move him. That said, the fact that Thebarton Theatre's foyer was overrun with left-wing political groups and non-profit organisations was not too surprising.

Blue King Brown were a very appropriate support band. Their reggae and afro beats influenced sound managed to fit like a glove with the crowd. The crowd, let it be mentioned, were as at ease, relaxed and more uninhibited than any crowd I can remember being a part of in quite a while. The jumping, dancing, applause and raucous cheers created a superb atmosphere, which despite the full force of being received by the main act, Blue King Brown were undoubtedly also spurred on. Their single Come N Chek Your Head was impressive, although the rest of their set passed by me without demanding much attention.

Halfway through their second song, Yell Fire! it was clear that Michael Franti And Spearhead hadn't come to play a rock concert, they'd come to host a party. Both opening track Time To Go Home and Yell Fire! were played a notch faster than recorded in the studio, the result being Franti gasping for breath whilst also working everyone in the room up into a frenzy. The new album featured heavily in the set, which one could have predicted, but what impressed me the most is how much better it sounded live. For example, Hello Bonjour transformed from a trite studio recording to one of the most fun live songs around. The kick behind Franti's voice in East To The West has since made me appreciate the recording a whole lot more also.

The really special stuff however was still yet to occur. Franti put the call out for people to hold up their lighters and cell phones in the aptly titled Light Up Ya Lighter and the result was fantastic. Whilst the band played two-thirds of that song in darkness, tiny orange and blue lights swayed across the room, the resulting atmosphere was surreal. When the lights went back up again, the song sounded even better. For my money I Know I'm Not Alone was the clear song-of-the-night, with Franti introducing it with a short chat of his experiences in Baghdad.

Concluding the show, Franti got down off the stage and greeted the audience. He was still shaking hands, high-fiving and signing autographs when I left, amongst the back end of the mass exodus. My respect for both Franti's music and the man personally had grown tenfold from what was truly an amazing Sunday night of entertainment.

Steven Williams

Pic: Rodney Magazinovic