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Hotsource ReviewMatt FinishThe BasementSunday, December 3, 2006
Well - we picked it! The show on Sunday night was well worth the effort. Matt Moffitt would be proud of what the boys have done to resurrect these great songs from the shelves. Last night was a rocking affair and everyone in the room could feel the power of the song.
(Remember, you can click on the photos to see larger images.)
Amy Vee opened for Matt Finish. Just her and her acoustic guitar against the chatting crowd. Her voice cut through the chatter - with beautiful high tones that came easily from her small frame. I would like to see her with her band because the songs needed more dynamic delivery than the simple strumming that Amy pulled off herself. But she powered through the presentation and was able to mention her website. (We'll make sure she knows about Hotsource.)
OK - if you don't know - Matt Finish is not a person - it is the band's name. Matt Moffitt used to be the lead singer and a significant songwriting presence in the band, but he died in 2003. The band hadn't played since the early nineties then, but they were a staple part of the Aussie music scene in the late 70s and early 80s.
So the songs have languished over the years - in record collections, bootlegged compilations, the Aussie pub covers circuit, and perhaps on the occasional enlightened radio playlist. But not live.
Until this week. The band brought a rock and roll set list to fans in Wollongong, St Kilda, and Sydney. Hotsource went to the Sydney show at the Basement.
When they took the stage, they got set up, and the lights went down, and they started with Short Note. But they started in tribute form - it was the original with Matt Moffitt singing from the grave. I was close to tears, but then the band took over from the recording and the crowd came to life.
Throughout the performance, the band acknowledged each other and Matt Moffitt. They all knew that Matt couldn't be replaced, but that the songs deserved to be played. I'm so glad they believed in the songs.
Young Luke Dixon, on guitar, took the lion's share of the lead vocal responsibilities. He did a phenomenal job. His voice was strong and steady. He took time with the lyrics and delivered them with meaning and passion. Matt would have been proud.
Matt Cornell, on bass, sang 4-5 songs and was a pleasure to listen to. No rough patches - these guys were well rehearsed and delivered with great energy. Matt spoke on behalf of Luke and himself and said they were both honoured to be a part of the legacy of Matt Finish. And they were proud to be on the stage with Jeff Clayton (original guitarist) and John Prior (original drummer).
Jeff Clayton came over from New Zealand to participate in the "memorial" tour. He stayed in his area and was content to play his parts in the songs. There were a few times throughout the night, usually during a solo, when I felt like Jeff really stepped out of his shell - times when he seemed to forget we were there - and when he did that, he had strong, driving, presence. But then, just as quickly, it was as if he'd realise where he was, and he'd finish his solo and go back to his safety zone. Maybe it was just me....one thing is for sure though, Jeff's playing transported a room full of Matt Finish fans back to the era of the late 70's and early 80's - he provided a distinct sound; as unique as Midnight Oil or The Divinyls. The Basement on this night could easily have been Selina's, The Family Inn or Stagedoor Tavern at the Cross 25 years ago.
Percussion was the instrumental winner for me last night. It became VERY clear that John Prior is a big part of the Matt Finish sound which is why I think he is so proud to be driving this new model…. John lifted the bar and really impressed me with his playing style and his artistic interpretation. His drumming lifted the songs to another dimension. Not just the volume - though the power he brought to some of the song transitions was amazing - but the feel was perfect. I'm not a drummer and I find it hard to find the right words, but I'd say John is one of the best drummers I've ever seen. His performance added a great deal to the overall band.
Former bassist, Rick Grossman (Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus) took over bass playing duties for one song in the encore. It was nice to see and I think it was an honour for him to be up there. Real musos just love to play - and it's hard to keep them off the stage when the opportunity arises. There were at least 20 people in the audience who probably would have jumped at the opportunity to get up there. Lucky Rick got to live it for all of them....
I had the pleasure of meeting John Prior and interviewing him before the band went to Melbourne. And he wasn't sure how the audiences would react to Matt Finish. He was not making any predictions about the band getting together for more shows after these three. He wanted to see how they went and then decide if they would do any more in 2007.
I hope our accolades at the end of this show talked them into a few more. I'll be there. And you should be, too.
Comments are welcome on every article, review, or message on Hotsource. Here's some feedback about Matt Finish:
I have seen many gigs this year…too many to mention but I have to comment on the basement gig of Matt Finish last Sunday night….
So many times a band from another era comes along and plays and disappointment follows. E.g.: the band looks tired of playing the same old songs, or lack of crowd creates carelessness, or crowds familiar with the songs can create hostility and frustration towards punters who in all fairness may not know the material……I have seen all these scenarios.
But I have seen two things this year from a local perspective that have really blown me away…
One was the revamped acoustic line-up of Dragon. Every song that was played from the catalogue was totally re-worked. Due to amazing musicians and obviously great songs, the result was extremely refreshing. And refreshing is a word I rarely use these days. If I were 18, I would probably find Wolfmother, Jet, Airbourne and Eskimo Joe refreshing. But alas, I have heard and seen all of this before. That is not to take away anything from these bands; they are all good in their own right.
But now to Matt Finish…..
I would have loved to have spoken to someone at that gig who had never heard their songs before and discussed their opinions….
I saw the original Matt Finish many many times circa 1979-1983.
And our band did many gigs with them as well.
And, like Dragon, they were an intense band with their personalities as large and menacing as the material. In fact, with both Dragon and Matt Finish, you didn’t really know what you were going to get. I saw many bad gigs from both those bands as well. But when you saw them on a good night….well it was as good as it gets.
So back to Sunday night.... Young Luke Dixon and Matt Cornell proved to be an excellent choice to re-ignite Matt Finish.
Apart from the amazing songs courtesy of predominantly Matt Moffatt, it became clear just how much influence John Prior and Jeff Clayton had on the sound, attitude and particularly the musical arrangement of the band.
I was personally addicted to the album Short Note as were my fellow muso mates. With the release of the recorded material in 1981, a new respect for the band emerged. In fact, our singer at the time played me the new album days after its release and went straight to the song “Short Note” and we all smiled that knowing smile to each other. This was a classic we decided….
Sunday night I wasn’t exactly transported back to any particular gig, but it did bring back many fond memories of the times and of the band itself. The boys were very faithful to the material and that was appreciated by myself and everyone else that was familiar with the songs.
Anyway, I was inspired to write because I found the whole experience refreshing, a little sad perhaps but very very refreshing.