@ The Toff In Town, 10 August, 2019
WHAT AN AMAZING NIGHT… an evening out at the Toff to see The Chills frontman Martin Phillipps really delivered in unexpected ways…
First up was his amazing support, local act Sweet Whirl who entranced during her 30 minute slot with just a bass guitar and melancholic vocal. Those on our table were blown away, not just by her astonishing original material… (songs that were just begging for a full band backing…) but also her voice… which reminded me enormously of Romeo Void’s powerhouse Debora Kay Iyall and Martha Davis from the Motels… a comparison that ain’t no bad thing.
I was really hoping to catch up with her briefly at the end of the evening to find out more but apparently she’d dashed off to work… next time Esther Edquist!
Next up was Martin, who it has to be said, smashed all expectations… we got a setlist to die for, with him deciding to dust off Chills songs that hadn’t been played in about 25 years… what an absolute privilege just to be there…
Word is he is looking to bring The Chills over to Australia in the very near future and was soliciting ideas for possible venues… I suggested a residency at Howler as a double bill with Blam Blam Blam, (which I would imagine would sell out instantly) an idea Martin was certainly receptive to, saying he would mention it to Don McGlashan when he next crosses paths down in Dunedin… Imagine those two legendary Kiwi bands on the one stage… what a double bill! Can you just for one second imagine how great that would be??? I can.
(Still, can you just imagine how fantastic a tour like this would be!)
At the end of the evening Martin came out with his sharpies in tow to greet fans and sign all manner of merch including DVD’s of the ‘as-yet-not-quite-released’ Martin Phillipps / The Chills Documentary…
but not before delivering his scrumptious band rider to our table, saying he couldn’t manage the fruit and cheese platter and would we like it? Matt Jones and Jamie Mac made very short work of it…!
Another thing that was really great was to look around the room and see so many passionate advocates of Melbourne’s live music scene there tonight… A big shout out to Enrique Maymi who I finally got to meet for the first time, Jonathan Alley Glenn Bennie Lisa Gibbs Simon Mariani Julian Wu Elena PopaJamie Mac Mark Katz et al… Just sad I didn’t have very much time to stop and chat with the majority of you all…
0:00:03 The Great Escape (Single, 1986 b/w I Love My Leather Jacket)
0:02:34 Wet Blanket (Brave Words, 1987)
0:05:44 Halo Fading (Soft Bomb, 1992)
0:09:44 House With A Hundred Rooms (Single, 1987)
0:13:35 Lost In Future Ruins (Sunburnt, 1996)
0:17:27 The Male Monster From The Id (Soft Bomb, 1992)
0:21:10 Submarine Bells (Submarine Bells, 1990)
0:25:00 Pink Frost (Single, 1984)
0:29:02 Deep Belief (Snowbound, 2018)
0:33:09 The Streets Of Forgotten Cool (Come Home EP, 1996)
0:37:09 This Is The Way (The ‘Lost’ EP, 1985)
0:39:37 Bee Bah Bee Bah Bee Boe (The ‘Lost’ EP, 1985)
0:42:55 Entertainer (Soft Bomb, 1992)
0:46:08 Brave Words (Brave Words, 1987)
0:47:55 Lord Of All I Survey (Snowbound, 2018)
0:51:07 Kaleidoscope World (Kaleidoscope World, 1986)
0:55:35 Singing in My Sleep (Submarine Bells, 1990)
0:58:41 The Walls Beyond Abandon (unreleased, brand new demo)
1:03:05 Tied Up In Chain (Submarine Bells, 1990)
ENCORE
1:08:23 Come Home (Sunburnt, 1996)
1:11:35 Night Of Chill Blue (Brave Words, 1987)
