BUSY BODIES, GETTING SOMEWHERE: WIND BACK WEDNESDAY FINDS ELVIS COSTELLO ON THE GO GO

Today the 2023 dates for Elvis Costello & The Imposters shows in Sydney and Melbourne are announced (see at end), and we already knew they were coming for Bluesfest in April of course.

The first time Costello and friends played Bluesfest was 2011, the same year a Mr B. Dylan, a Ms G. Jones and messrs J. Tull were among the performers. A strong lineup you might say, and this was before La Nina settled in for a regular appearance at Australia’s summer/autumn/spring/everybloodyseason festivals. But let’s not think about that for now.

Instead, Wind Back Wednesday finds EC & I in Sydney on that 2011 tour. It was hectic – at least for some in the audience, if not necessarily on stage.

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ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE IMPOSTERS

State Theatre, April 19, 2011

THE START WAS BREATHLESS, four songs banging up against each other like late running commuters impatient at the turnstiles: coming through, coming through, make way. I Hope You’re Happy Now noisy and rollicking, Tear Off Your Own Head busy and sneakily poptastic, High Fidelity brisk soul dancing away, Uncomplicated muscular and snappy.

Fifteen minutes or so, not a word said, barely a pause between final chord and first drumbeat, corrections made on the run, energy.

But even before the first breath was taken, in the Texas torch song of Either Side Of The Same Town, you could hear the base notes of this night’s show and it wasn’t knock-me-down rock’n’roll. What permeated almost every corner of the next two hours was what has always fed Elvis Costello’s music: country and soul.

(Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve)

There was the Chicago groove now underneath Everyday I Write The Book and the deeper well of Flutter & Wow, the usually raucous Why Don’t You Love Like You Used To Do done Opry style followed by a rockabilly take on Luxembourg, and even the sleazy cabaret lounge just behind the veil of New Lace Sleeves picking up a hint of rye rather than cheap scotch blend.

This is one versatile, almost infinitely flexible band of keyboard adventurer Steve Nieve (who was criminally low in the mix for a little too long), seemingly ageless drummer Pete Thomas, loose limbed bassplayer and spot-on backing vocalist Davey Faragher and Costello in some career-best form on guitar. When they want to, they can sound dense and dangerous like late ‘70s Attractions or sit back in the song and just point you in the right way.

Mind you, one of the evenings highlights didn’t feature the band (or much country soul) at all, as first Costello took a solo, old time radio-style stroll through the comi-tragic tale of Jimmie Standing In The Rain before the seriously charming and winning voices of support act Secret Sisters played chorus line to his neo-Bing Crosby in A Slow Drag With Josephine.

Having cleared a space with these delicacies though, Costello and the Imposters went out the way they came in, bustling through a final triumvirate of National Ransom, Pump It Up and (What's So Funny ‘bout) Peace, Love And Understanding, convincing us briefly that our lack of breath was excitement not ageing.

In 2023 Elvis Costello & The Imposters play Sydney Opera House, April 9-10; Palais Theatre, Melbourne, April 13. Tickets on sale Friday, September 15, and Bluesfest, April 6-10