Review: Ben Folds & Lucy Rose at the Melbourne Zoo Twilights, February 16 2018
Thankfully, Ben Folds concerts are far from a rarity on Australian shores. However, even now, over two decades since he first set foot on Aussie soil as part of indie-rock trio Ben Folds Five, this brilliant musician’s popularity is far from waning, with two sold out shows at Melbourne Zoo a testament to the love that local audiences have for him.
Stopping by Melbourne Zoo for their Zoo Twilights series, Ben Folds brought his hugely popular ‘Paper Aeroplane Request’ tour to an eager Victorian audience, showing off a selection of hits, new and old, for a highly receptive group of fans.
Opening the evening’s festivities was English artist Lucy Rose, who brought her delicate, acoustic tunes to the outdoor arena. A lone figure on the stage, Rose was armed only with her guitar and a voice that was equal parts powerful and tender, showcasing a small selection of her songs in an all-too short set.
Mixing an emotional performance with deeply personal lyrics, and sharing quite a bit of friendly, light-hearted banter with the crowd in between, everyone in attendance was in an astonished hush for the majority of the set, as they watched this impeccable musician pour out her heart on the stage for everyone to see.
While Rose was aware of her status as an opening act (“I know you guys haven’t come to see me, I know that it’s a plus for me, but it’s not for anyone else,” she said light-heartedly), the evening’s audience could easily have listened to Lucy Rose’s stunning music for the entire night if they had the chance, with many watching on in silence at the incredible music she produced.
Sadly, after just six songs, Lucy Rose took her leave from the stage, leaving only a Steinway piano on show which was soon to become the centre of attention.
Taking to the stage of rapturous applause, Ben Folds soon jumped into the performance, playing a ten-song first set which consisted of old Ben Folds Five songs, his solo gems, and some newer hits. Soon though, the affable Folds showed off his cheeky side, hamming it up for the photographers and giving them the shots of a lifetime with a series of antics which saw him climb his piano, silently scream into a microphone, and pretend to throw his stool – needless to say, the Ben Folds we know and love had definitely arrived.
As both Folds and the crowd got into it, he proved himself to be a most dedicated musician, giving his all to achieve every possible sound of his instrument, pounding the keys of the lower register, and deftly swirling through the higher register like a man possessed. Adding to this, Folds proved he was full of surprises by performing an impromptu drum solo on a kit that was quickly assembled during the last song of the first set, the infectious ‘Steven’s Last Night In Town’.
Following a short intermission, fans were invited to write down requests on paper planes which were then thrown onto the stage. While Folds had stated that only previously played songs would be ignored, he apparently had to eschew at least one request for the ‘Fraggle Rock Theme’ while searching through the multitude of foldable projectiles. “It’s very nice of you to sit on the grass and listen to a lonely piano player,” he noted at one point, thanking his fans for contributing to and participating in the novelty of a performance such as this.
Running through requests such as ‘Brick’, ‘Army’, and ‘Not The Same’, as well as a few of the earlier tunes including ‘Philosophy’ and ‘Evaporated’, Ben Folds had the audience in the palm of his hands at all time, as almost everyone in the crowd looked at him with awed wonder. Of course, as is to be expected at a Ben Folds show, the audience was also treated to his famed improvisational number ‘Rock This Bitch’, of which the lyrics had been changed to “let’s rock this bitch at the Melbourne Zoo.”
A few cuts from his first solo album, which had been recorded in South Australia back in 2001 during Folds’ seven-year stint as an Australian resident, also made an appearance, but due to the nature of a request show, many fan-favourites, including ‘The Luckiest’, or even ‘Adelaide’, his ode to his once-adopted city, didn’t make the cut, leaving fans to wonder what the evening’s set would have sounded like if their collective aims had been better.
Sadly, seeing Folds in an arena such as the Melbourne Zoo proved to be the only downfall of the performance. While his performances tend to run long with jovial banter and tales from his storied past, a strict curfew meant that Folds’ final song, ‘Rockin’ The Suburbs’, had to be somewhat rushed, leaving both Folds and the audience somewhat disappointed at the lack of an encore. Of course, this was through no fault of his own, and it was rather clear that almost no one in the grooving masses seemed to mind that much.
Overall, Ben Folds’ exceptional performance showed fans why this stunningly talented musician is a welcome fixture on Australian concert stages, leaving only one question remaining – “How long until his next Aussie tour?”
Check out Ben Folds’ ‘Rockin’ The Suburbs’:
Ben Folds Paper at Melbourne Zoo Twilights 16/2/18 Setlist
‘Phone In A Pool’
‘Annie Waits’
‘Uncle Walter’
‘Bastard’
‘Still Fighting It’
‘So There’
‘Landed’
‘Not A Fan’
‘You Don’t Know Me’
‘Steven’s Last Night In Town’
Paper Aeroplane Request set
‘Not The Same’
‘Rock This Bitch’
‘Zak And Sara’
‘Philosophy’
‘Evaporated’
‘Brick’
‘Do It Anyway’
‘Gracie’
‘Army’
‘Rockin’ The Suburbs’
