Celebrating over 30 years together as a band, the Hoodoo Gurus have accomplished quite a bit as one of our favourite and most iconic Aussie rock groups.
From classic albums full of the timeless hits, to extensive touring and a fan base to boot, The Gurus, as they’re affectionately known, are now into the second year of hosting their very own invitational live event entitled Dig It Up!
With full line-ups and shows scheduled for Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane got the first taste of the spectacle with a condensed version of the night featuring Blue Oyster Cult and Flamin’ Groovies supporting the legendary Australian rockers. What better venue to host such an event than Brisbane’s charming Tivoli.
Starting the show to an already packed theatre, the Flamin’ Groovies deliver a set that lives up to their namesake. From the thick and funky basslines to the energetic drumbeats, the sound is just plain cool giving people the opportunity to dance nice and early in the night.
After a very short wait indeed, it is time for the next band on the bill, the legendary Blue Oyster Cult. Whining guitars open up the set in the form of “The Red And The Black” to the satisfaction of the audience. “Golden Age Of Leather” keeps the set cranking with some brilliant musicianship, especially from guitarist Eric Bloom who is spending the night on a cut off electric.
Playing their ever first gig in Australia, the group do not disappoint as they put on a set full of hits including the epic “Godzilla” which sees the band jam out some Joan Jett and Meatloaf covers in the middle. That jamming session and the constant rotation of band members around the stage really just shows how much fun the band are having on stage and it’s great to see.
Eventually at the end of their set the band launch into their biggest hit, “Don’t Fear The Reaper”. Within moments of the opening riff starting up, the crowd erupt into cheers followed by a bit of laughter as frontman Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser imitates the famous Saturday Night Live skit featuring Will Ferrel on cowbell for the same song, bringing a fun and entertaining end to the set.
As UFOs dangle over the now empty stage, the lights cut out just after 10pm and The Guru’s take to the stage.
As uited up frontman Dave Faulkner announcing to the audience, “lets get it on”, the band rip into their set with the opening number, “Bittersweet”. It’s an absolute rocking set from the get go and Faulkner states that everyone knows what the next song will be as they have no choice in the matter, “It’s Mars Needs Guitars all the way through.”
Just as Faulkner promised, the four-piece play their second album all the way through and the crowd love it! From songs like “Death Defying” to “Like Wow Wipeout”, there is no shortage of hits.
“Time to flip it over to side two”, Faulkner exclaims before adding “that’s probably where we should’ve left it”.
A little bit of confusion comes over the setlist as the band can’t remember now if they have actually been playing the songs in the right order or not, but soon enough they get through the entire album and then shower the Tivoli in nothing but hits.
From “What’s My Scene?” to “Tojo” and “Right Time”, the crowd get the best at last and leave on a massive high of Aussie classics. Another great success for the Gurus that will hopefully continue to come round year after year…who could get sick of these guys?
