A year after the release of Dream Days At The Hotel Existence, the 'Upstairs at the Downstairs Tour' involved Brisbane group Powderfinger playing gigs at theatre venues around the country.

Powderfinger Where: The Forum Theatre, Melbourne
When: Saturday 14th June

A year after the release of Dream Days At The Hotel Existence, the 'Upstairs at the Downstairs Tour' involved Brisbane group Powderfinger playing gigs at theatre venues around the country. It’s a far cry from last year's ‘Across The Great Divide’ tour, when the band and their friends Silverchair played at large performance venues.

This time around, the tour was designed to create a more personal, intimate experience for the fans, as Powderfinger downscaled their large stadiums to smaller theatres, such as The Forum Theatre in Melbourne.

The supporting act throughout the tour was Melbourne singer/songwriter Whitley (aka Lawrence Greenwood), and although I did not arrive in time to see him, I have heard only positive things about his performance. As the curtains pull up at The Forum, a beautiful set is revealed, consisting of a mural painted with staircases, archways, clocks, and an outer space scene, detailed with UV paint that would later illuminate with particular lighting effects.

The Powderfinger boys - Bernard Fanning on vocals/guitar, Darren Middleton and Ian Haug on guitar, John Collins on bass and Jon Coghill on drums - stroll onstage to immense applause. We must not overlook the inclusion of their talented ‘on tour’ keyboardist Lachlan Doley either.

Experimenting with a new concept, it is exciting to know that Powderfinger have given fans the opportunity to vote online for the songs the band would play at each show.

The show is also divided in two, with the first half an acoustic and rearranged set, and the second more rock-orientated. The boys look relaxed as they begin the nominally acoustic set, which involves interpretations of their tracks with blues and jazz embellishments. As they sit back in their chairs, chat and poke fun at each other, you feel a part of something intimate and special. Waiting For The Sun is the first tune of the night, then My Kind of Scene. As Bernard sings, the fans are reminded of how exceptional his voice can be.

If possible, he has even further developed his singing in recent years. After playing Lost and Running, and Bless My Soul, ‘Berns’ leaves the stage to allow Middleton to sing JC from the album Double Allergic. Darren acknowledges that he is not the original vocalist for the song - he wrote the lyrics - but as he commences singing, it is evident that there is more than one charismatic voice in this band.

These Days, including an extensive sing along, completes the first set, and then Powderfinger disappear for a 20-minute interval. The curtain rises again to signal the second half, to reveal a new set containing a white flowing backdrop decorated with lights. To accompany the change in music style, the boys are dressed in more relaxed attire. They make a suitable transition into the rockier set with some older songs, starting with Belter, from Internationalist, followed by Living Type and Who Really Cares, where Bernard lets loose with some maracas. The set leads up to three final songs, including Since You’ve Been Gone, and Happiness, where Bernard turns the microphone toward the crowd to allow them to sing.

Finally, one of the favorites, Passenger, a haunting and sorrowful song which further demonstrates the range of Fanning’s voice. The performance also includes a fugal horn player that is, following Bernie’s request, given a “the biggest applause of the night”. The boys disappear off stage, although everyone trusts that an encore is imminent. After much chanting and stomping from the audience, the boys finally return to perform the encore. The encore begins with Wishing On The Same Moon, a track from their new album, as well as a verse from Tail; the first single by Powderfinger from their debut album Parables for Wooden Ears.

The finale is suitably, On My Mind, which sends the entire room jumping, and the boys even include an extended ending. After they leave the stage, the crowd is stunned, reeling from the exceptional performance. The dividing of the gig into two styles, the fans’ involvement in the set list, and the intimacy of the performance truly made this night a rare Powderfinger experience.

After sixteen years, Powderfinger have still got it.