The Church

Newcastle O2 Academy - 19th June

I’m making this one a red-letter day as I’ve been waiting to catch these guys for near enough 20 years, and considering they started back in 1980, that makes me a late-comer to the party. If you don’t know them, how shall I describe them to you? Slightly progressive, psychedelic “pop” from the 80’‘s & 90’s? Not quite as hooky as the more “playful” Cure songs and not quite as heavy as The Mission. However, very sophisticated songs with great guitar interplay between Peter Koppes and Marty Willson-Piper, back in the day.

Still, that’s for a history lesson that could fill a thread, not a post. This gig was part of a short British tour following an appearance at Robert Smith’s Meltdown and a special “Blurred Weekend” at Bush Hall to tour their latest & 25th studio release Man, Woman, Life, Death, Infinity album. The core of The Church still revolves round the mellow baritone vocals of Steve Kilbey, as well as his bass guitar, and the lead/rhythm guitar of long term member Peter Koppes. Handling second lead/rhythm these days is Ian Haug (formerly of Powderfinger), Tim Powles behind the drums and for added stage oomph, Craig Wilson on guitars, keys, percussion & backing vocals.

And what a hundred or so Geordies, or Novocastrians as people from “Newie” are called, so we were told, was a roaring set that trolled the old and the new. So great to finally get to hear the interplay between the Strats and the jangling Fender Jaguars and chiming Rickenbackers with full rhythm from the 12 string acoustics. I had wondered how the bagpipe solo in Under The Milky Way, if played, was going to be handled, sure enough, it was, and out came the ol’ ebow, in the skilled hands of Peter Koppes. Have to admit, it’s been a while since I really sat down and played some Church, but the opener of Aura was like an old friend, as was Myrrh and Metropolis. Several songs were totally new or vaguely familiar but I think the top of my head flipped at the franticly building Tantalised toward the end of the main set. That alone was worth the price of the ticket, but then I’d have said that about the “old hits” encore double-whammy.

So was 100 minutes worth 20 years anticipation - Hell yes.

Set list (approx.):
Aura
Myrrh
Toy Head
Almost With You
Metropolis
Another Century
Delirious
Fly
North, South, East and West
Day 5
Constant In Opal
Undersea
I Don’t Know How I Don’t Know Why
Tantalized
Under The Milky Way
Reptile
Encore:
The Unguarded Moment
When You Were Mine
Miami