GLENN SHORROCK – 45 YEARS OF SONG
To Australian audiences, Glenn Shorrock is a man needing no introduction. Beginning his career with The Twilights in the 1960’s and achieving world-wide acclaim as part of the Little River Band in the 70’s & 80’s, he’s someone who has seen and lived it all. Any artist would envy the hit songs he has had. His longevity is a testament to his creative drive and passion for the music which has served him so well.
Having been a fan of the Little River Band for many years, I was intrigued to see he was to be a part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. To para-phrase an old LRB tune ‘Curiosity Killed the Cat’, my curiosity was piqued enough to book a ticket to see him on Saturday 11 June at 3pm. His show was held in the Dunstan Playhouse at the Festival Centre – a perfect venue. It was set in ‘cabaret’ style with 9 tables scattered around in front of the typical seating arrangements such places have. I booked a $50 premium ticket and found myself at Table 3 – literally front and centre of the stage! A great place to view what was to come. The venue was packed with people mostly in their 50s – 60s and I think I may have been the youngest one there! All were there to have a great time and many were just as lively and happy to dance as any teenager!
The stage was set with a bass player, keyboardist and four violinists on the left. At the centre were a percussionist and drummer and on the right were four trumpet players and two more bass players. Throughout the show all would provide solid back-up with each section given their own opportunity to shine. Whilst perhaps some of the songs seemed a little too over-whelmed by so many instrumental elements, this mostly didn’t detract from the enjoyment factor. The lights dimmed and with the stirring of the deep heavy bass guitars, Glenn Shorrock walked onto the stage to rapturous applause. His first song was Days on the Road and worked the audience up considerably.
Seeing him up-close he appeared in great shape and happy to be on stage. He did seem quite nervous though and it did take him sometime to warm up. On stage there was a table with the set list on it which he kept referring back to. This did produce some awkward silent moments, but not too many to spoil things. He seems more of a ‘performer’ than ‘showman’ in that whilst he enjoys bantering on stage with the musicians and clearly loves singing, he appears less comfortable in interacting with the audience. When he did he was hilarious and happy to take the mickey out of himself although perhaps he just prefers to sing than fully connect with those watching – something not uncommon with other performers.
It was the hits everyone came to hear and he supplied most of them. His show was entitled ’45 years of song’ and that’s exactly what you got. After the first number he went into ‘Needle in a Haystack’, which was a big hit for The Twilights. The audience really got moving to this one and even Glenn wasn’t averse to doing some go-go dancing on stage! The four other people seated at my table certainly knew the words and they sang with just as much gusto as he did! He then went onto tunes such as ‘Little Ray of Sunshine’ and ‘Cathy Come Home’. What struck me about them was how fresh they sound today. Lyrically they are still very relevant and proved well written and structured songs can last forever. His re-interpretation of them in a ‘cabaret setting’ certainly gave them new life and his vocal delivery still sounded as rich and dynamic as the original recordings.
From my perspective I was waiting for the LRB tunes as they were the ones I knew best and he didn’t disappoint. From ‘Home on Monday’ to ‘Help Is on its way’ and ‘Reminiscing’, every song was masterfully rendered and the audience lapped them up. Listening to them up-close it was interesting to note how guitar driven these songs are. They make all the difference in the quality of their sound and reveals why LRB were one of the expert leaders in guitar-based pop. While singing ‘Lonesome Loser’ he did stumble and actually forgot the words! He made a joke of it and said he himself was the loser in this case!
A short interval was held about fifty minutes in. The first half ending with the Beatles tune ‘Please, Please Me’. When he returned he did a Bobby Darrin number called ‘Dreamlover’ and a few of his original compositions with his most recent being 25 years old as, by his own admission, he suffered from never-ending writer’s block! The crowd were there to have a great time and they certainly did. When the near two hour show ended he was given a standing ovation and seemed to appreciate the goodwill of the many fans in attendance.
Afterwards he came out into the foyer to sign his latest CD called ‘Meanwhile….Acoustically’ and there was quite a line-up to get his autograph. While observing him my earlier thoughts were confirmed as he appeared somewhat uncomfortable with the crowd but affable enough to press on. I got to meet him and said how much I enjoyed the show which seemed to please him. He signed the CD and I managed to get a photo taken with him.
Overall it was a very entertaining and pleasurable show to attend. Whilst he may not be as personable as other singers, Glenn Shorrock’s musical talents are without doubt as everyone got their money’s worth from a day full of nostalgia and musical memories.
Review: Patrick Moore
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