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There is little point in commissioning a rabid Elvis Costello fan to write a review of any of his performances. But then, any fan of Elvis is bound to be rabid, as the audience at his February 16 Melbourne gig at the Athenaeum Theatre well demonstrated with their enthusiastic behaviour. Two weeks previously a few thousand Melbournites sat in awe at the Melbourne Concert Hall as Costello battled valiantly against a sore throat.
Soon after, the Australian tour was cancelled due to illness and a lot of irate people in Perth and Adelaide cursed the Sydney bug which had left him voiceless. But in less than a fortnight, Elvis had rescheduled the cancelled gigs and thrown in a few more for Melbourne and Sydney audiences. And with spectacular results…
Our hero cavorted and sang with all his heart from the moment he hit the stage. Many of us had already been awestruck by his courageous performance at the Concert Hall, but this night he was in full voice and enjoying every minute of it. Accompanied by a playful Steve Nieve, the pair took full advantage of the theatrical setting. The repertoire was more eclectic than the original set, including two covers and a new Nieve-Costello penned tune, "Passionate Fight."
Songs which allowed his strong tenor voice to soar included "In The Darkest Place" and "This House Is Empty Now" (both from the Bacharach-Costello collaboration). "Pads, Paws and Claws" saw Costello and Nieve in full vaudevillian swing and "Veronica" was — well, you should know.
Other seldom-played favourites included a menacing "Inch by Inch" and the tear-jerking "Any King’s Shilling." When unimpeded by guitar, Elvis paced the stage like a boxer then swept up to the microphone like a weightlifter approaching the bar.
"I Want You" proved again to be an audience favourite and the three or four standing ovations must have left The Man in no doubt as to the admiration he inspires.
Finally, after the second encore, Costello again finished with an un-miked rendition of "Couldn’t Call It Unexpected No. 4" before the theatre staff reluctantly reminded us that we all had homes to go to.
I have gushed enough. Oh, just a bit more. As far I can see, any artist who not only reschedules cancelled shows, but adds a few extras deserves as many standing ovations as our feet can cope with. And anyone who emerges from backstage to greet devotees equipped with his own pen is a true star."
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