The Memphis Concert - takes Sydney by storm

[Prinia]

Steve Cropper and Guy at The Bridge gig

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/Debz75/the%20memphis%20tour/3.jpg

finishing up with the boogaloo

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d51/Debz75/the%20memphis%20tour/1.jpg

thanks to Debz, our fab. photographer


Guy also sings two new songs of his own proposed soul album to be released later in the year, and slows down the beat for "I've Been Lovin' You Too Long" so it is sooo heart tearin'.

Mrs Lester Snell, who has joined the BV's with Gary Pinto and Dee :bleh: keeps looking at Guy during this, and you can see by her head movements she is sooo into what he is doing with it. Pity the audio on youtube (soulsong4ever) is so distorted, she was unfortunately right near a speaker but if you can get past that and listen and look - AMAZING!!! A-MAZING :wub:


Some new people who turned up Tuesday night for the Blues Bros / MGs band, turned up with major enthusiasm the 2nd night. Said it was the best gig, musically, they'd ever been to.

Because it must always be remembered. Guy is a musician first. Then - it just so happens - he has a great voice (as Sony put it, arguably the greatest voice in Australia) and his true talent is he can use it. Well, that and he can use the stage too. :haha: :wub:

Proper BIG venues starting Friday :love::love:

[Prinia]

I've Been Loving You Too Long
shocker distortion, but still able to be watched and heard - and marvelled at. Love Mrs Snell watching him. (BV)


(from So you think you can dance Steve Cropper & the MGs, with Guy's band & Soul Man/ Shake Ure Tailfeather (and he does!)

REVIEW............... from someone who obviously had never seen Guy live (5 years down the track??) and not bought his albums... but now a CONVERT!


Guy Sebastian
Brett Winterford
Feb 28, 08

It's all too easy to disregard the talent of Guy Sebastian, a singer best known as the inaugural winner of a TV popularity contest. It's easy to dismiss his very able voice as being something that good training can develop or that expensive production can polish.

It's harder to hear Sebastian sing some of the finest songs ever written - backed by the famed session players that first recorded them - and admit to yourself that Sebastian is a genuinely rare talent, a charismatic singer with not just a sensational voice but with great feel, a performer that knows his place in a song.

This month Sebastian will release The Memphis Sessions, an album in which he covers such soul classics as Under The Boardwalk, Let's Stay Together and In The Midnight Hour.

Sebastian is backed on the album by a band that features some of the musicians who wrote and recorded these hits the first time around - among them Stax Records legends Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn of Booker T & the MG's.

It was an incredible experience for Sebastian, who grew up besotted by the music of Otis Redding, Sam and Dave and Wilson Pickett - all artists who had at some stage been backed by the MG's.

"I saw footage of Otis on stage and that was it for me," Sebastian says. "He was dripping with sweat - he taught me that music is supposed to be felt."

Sebastian always hoped he might one day meet his idols. But never did he imagine he might record an album with some of them.

His management, having discussed the prospect of a soul covers album in the same vein as Jimmy Barnes's Soul Deep or Human Nature's Motown effort, found out about the 50th anniversary of soul music being celebrated in Memphis late last year, and hurriedly sent Cropper recordings of Sebastian singing at the Basement.

Sebastian is incredibly flattered that the old players would show interest in backing him.

"And not just play either - but be so passionate about it," he says. "They made me feel like it was something new for them. They were so giving of themselves - I mean, when you've written Dock Of The Bay, you don't have to work again. You don't have to do anything.

"And I didn't have to throw them a million dollars, either," he adds.

The sessions were recorded live to tape, which was how the originals were recorded.

"I wanted to capture that moment," Sebastian says. "I'm a live singer. I love imperfections in songs, when it isn't perfect but it's got character."

That style of recording, he says, "takes an incredible understanding between musicians".

"These guys would nail their parts in 10 minutes, then tell stories for two hours about Elvis and Otis," he says. "You never get to hear stories like that first-hand."

Sebastian says he has always wanted to sing soul classics but the Idol experience, and his chart-topping pop albums, had to come first.

He rarely sang his soul favourites on Idol, for example, as he learned very quickly that the competition didn't favour artists wanting to exhibit an eclectic taste in music.

"Early on in Idol I sang a Jackson Five song called The Love You Save thinking everybody who is into music would know the song. And the judges said, 'Why did you sing this obscure song? This song that wasn't a hit.'

"I soon realised that Idol is TV. If you want to be an indulgent artist, if you are interested in getting credibility, it's not the place for it. It's TV - it exists to make people feel good. People want immediate recognition of the song."

As rewarding as the recording experience itself, Sebastian says, is having young people approach him and thank him for helping them discover the music of the Stax era.

"One of the best things I've heard is that it inspired them to go out and buy an Otis record," he says. "That makes me happy - a new generation getting educated about a musical era that was, in this country at least, lost for a long time."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/gig-reviews/guy...3788521164.html


Might add to this major plus review, Guy had an interview Thursday I think it was (praps I put it above) and he tells of receiving a phone call after the 1st concert from "Duck" Dunn, the absolute legend bass, which was more or less "Thanks for having us tour with you, I'm having a ball and it's a real honour to be playing with you."

After all the great stuff that Steve cropper and been saying, for the very very quiet Duck to come out with something like that - it overwhelmed Guy and it certainly overwhelms us fans.

There was also a WA interview, which in part says this (from Steve Cropper) The pair hit it off. Within days, Cropper talked of bringing the band, including fellow MG Donald "Duck" Dunn and Memphis luminaries Lester Snell and Steve Potts, to Australia for a tour.

"He's easy to work with," Cropper says of the original Australian Idol winner. "Usually people with that much talent already have an attitude because they've been told by everybody and their grandmother how great they are. It's hard to be critical and be nice about being critical because they take it as an insult. He takes everything as a compliment and as a creative endeavour where we are working together to make it the best we can. HE'S A DREAM TO WORK WITH."

[Prinia]

I've Been Loving You - better audio

thanks to Jadey. But I love the one by soulsong4ever, when you can look at the faces of the people involved.

"I Feel a Fire" which I'm hoping will be on his next 'own' soul album, is also there under that poster

[Prinia]

HERE is a review, obviously by someone who has never bought his albums or gone to his concerts (because THIS is exactly why we've gone to so many!!) Written by an anti Guy, blah MGs, blah genre critic



What do Guy Sebastian, the original Australian Idol winner and wearer of the mini-afro, and the original Blues Brothers band have in common? Quite a great deal surprisingly. Sebastian, after appearing to be little more than another generic pop-clone churned out by today’s obsession with reality television, has finally managed to find his niche in the genre he grew up loving; Soul.

Travelling to Memphis in the good ol’ US of A, Guy recorded an album with the original Stax Band AKA The Blues Brothers Band AKA The MGs (from Booker T and the MGs); suffice to say that these guys have been around for a long time, and have been involved in a tonne of hits since the 60s, including Green Onions, Soul Man, Try a Little Tenderness, and Hold On! (I’m Coming).

After recording Sebastian’s ‘Memphis Album’, the MGs decided they’d go on a tour of Australia with our Guy. Which is how I found myself driving to Newcastle from Sydney yesterday afternoon, going to see a singer I didn’t like perform with a band I had no interest in, and all in a genre I didn’t particularly like to boot. With all that negativity in mind, what I found came as a bit of a surprise.

As with concerts of any kind, it was felt that the audience had to be warmed up before the main act; so with this in mind Sebastian’s backup singer (and former 90s boyband CDB member) Gary Pinto, as well as a guitarist (whose name I regretfully did not catch) came out to regale us with some of Pinto’s own songs. This delivered the first shock of the night, in that they were actually pretty decent. Pinto came across as quite a songwriter, and his voice is very powerful; it’s just a shame that his facial expressions while hitting some of the high notes were absolutely painful to watch. The guitar work was also quite good during this set. Unfortunately Pinto’s interactions with the crowd felt a little strained, and he stumbled a great deal when talking about the meaning behind some of his songs; hopefully this was just a bit of stage fright, and will be ironed out in time.


Finally, after a ridiculously lengthy break, the main act began. Opening with some of the Blues Brothers favourites that just about every living person in the world has heard, two things quickly became apparent; firstly that the MGs haven’t lost any of their touch despite the ongoing years; and secondly, that Guy Sebastian has an incredibly powerful voice rarely showcased in his previous, more radio-friendly efforts.

As an (extremely) amateur guitarist myself, the main highlight of the night for me was always going to be watching Steve ‘the Colonel’ Cropper (inarguably one of the greatest guitarists of all time) and bass player Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn showing their mastery of their respective instruments; and yet, despite watching Cropper play so fast that his hands appeared to be melting, my eyes and ears kept being drawn back to Sebastian himself.



From the first time the microphone was in his hand, Guy Sebastian showed that he was entirely in his element. From his incredible vocal work, to his dance moves, to his interactions with the crowd and the fact he wasn’t afraid to have a laugh at himself; Sebastian had a stage presence I have rarely seen in established performers twice his age. As important as this confidence in himself however, was the obvious esteem with which his band members obviously held him; Cropper, Dunn, Lester Snell, and Steve Potts have all been there and done that for a number of decades, working with the best and making hit after hit, and for them to accept Sebastian as one of their own says a great deal about both his character and his talent.

The MGs themselves were simply amazing to watch; from guitar to bass, organ to drums; all four played like men half (if not a quarter) their age, and seemed to be having an absolute blast on stage, sharing jokes with Sebastian and each other, as well as engaging in impromptu competitions to see who could strum the fastest during the guitar solo in Green Onions. It is fair to say that, had Sebastian not been as impressive as he was on stage, the MGs would still have carried the show; as it was they just managed not to steal it outright.

Steve ‘the Colonel’ Croppercropper-with-duck-dunn.jpghammond-organ-and-piano.jpg

That is not to say that the MGs and Guy were the only ones on stage for the event; the aforementioned Pinto and his guitarist were backup vocalist and rhythm guitarist respectively, and the band were joined by two female backup singers (whose names I also am lacking) and a horn section (consisting of a trombone and sax, ditto on the names). The entire ensemble worked together like a well-oiled machine, even when Sebastian decided to change up the set-list so as to get the audience “dancing in their seats”.


Despite not being my beloved Metal, I nonetheless found myself bopping along to numerous old classics as well as songs I had never heard before, and some of Sebastian’s own work (which, amazingly, stood up quite well to the old classics). Sebastian’s enthusiasm was infectious, and pretty much everyone in the theatre was wearing a massive smile for the whole performance, a feat as amazing as his ability to faithfully cover so many favourite songs while somehow effortlessly managing to put a unique spin on each of them.

While I didn’t walk away from this concert suddenly having the urge to buy Guy Sebastian’s entire back catalogue of CDs, I did certainly come away with a newfound level of respect for his abilities; both as a singer and as a stage performer. It is hard not to be impressed with any artist who loves every single moment of what they are doing, and who want to desperately share this unbridled enthusiasm with the audience. The MGs were the consummate professionals that they were always going to be, but with the added bonus of being equally as enamoured of being on stage performing with Guy.

It can be an amazing experience to watch a show involving great performers; it is something else, almost humbling in fact, to be invited into that special place where the truly great artists share their love of performing with the audience on a personal level. I don’t know when exactly between Australian Idol and the present day that he became this impressive a performer, but Guy Sebastian does not look out of place on stage with living legends such as the MGs; in fact, if this concert and his latest album are anything to go by, he may soon join them in Soul music history.



Opener: Gary Pinto (w/ guitarist): 6/10 (Entertaining, but lacking in stage presence. Adequate as a warm up band, and will hopefully grow in confidence.)

Guy Sebastian (w/ backing vocalists): 10/10 (If I hadn’t seen it in person I would never have believed I could rate Guy Sebastian this highly, but he has matured as a performer and found where he belongs. Incredible stage presence, awesome range, and a self-deprecating sense of humour will ensure that his star will continue to rise. The backing vocalists were perfectly suited to the task, and shone when given the chance to sing individually.)

The MGs (w/ backing band): 10/10 (Amazing ability overshadowed only by the almost youthful exuberance for playing the music; Green Onions in particular was awe-inspiring to both watch and hear, particularly with the improvisation at the end. The non-MGs band members did not seem out of place in the slightest, and seemed to be enjoying themselves every bit as much.)

Overall Concert Rating: 10/10 (I will probably never live this one down, but this is as close to a perfect concert as I have ever seen; intimate, fast paced, upbeat, and energetic; Guy Sebastian, the MGs and the other band members lived the music in a way I have never experience before, and may never experience again. Everyone in the building with smiles on their faces and humming the Blues Brothers soundtrack; you can’t ask for more than that.)



- Tim Sweeney


definitelyi - and ALWAYS 10/10 for Guy gigs

[Prinia]

Taylorhicksrocks -
1. I see where Taylor may record with Steve Cropper?

2. You will love Guy's Easter stuff on youtube. If you can get it.
just one of them
YouTube - Because He Lives - Guy Sebastian

Honestly, the man works so hard. Almost nonstop gigs, then flew what is almost one side of the US to the other, to appear in two shows yesterday, for Easter. I can tell from the one where he talks to the people, that he is so very very very tired, but he wont give in. And he commences recording his 5th album tomorrow!!

Not sure when he rehearsed with this band. (The church is massive, Hillsong. Guy is an amazing, amazing man - as can be heard by that interview with Shelley - thanks to Janice



I am using the new Media Fire to upload, can someone try it and see if it works okay if not I will reupload to Megaupload

http://www.mediafire.com/?g01tis9z1b5


Megaupload just in case anyone has problems

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1V072NGL


ANOTHER FANTASTIC REVIEW



please visit this review at (Thanks Shadow)
http://rodneyolsen.net/

You don’t get the true legends of soul music travelling half way around the world to serve as a backing band for someone unless they’ve proven that they have enormous talent.

Pauline and I went to the Perth Concert Hall on Saturday for the final show of Guy Sebastian’s Memphis Tour. His touring band featured members of the legendary MGs.

You might know Steve “The Colonel” Cropper and Donald “Duck” Dunn from the Blues Brothers movie or from their work with Booker T and the MGs. Steve Cropper co-wrote songs like Dock of the Bay with Otis Redding as well as co-writing classics like Midnight Hour and Knock on Wood.

They brought fellow Memphis musicians, Lester Snell and Steve Potts with them to Australia and rounded out the band with some amazing Australian musicians.

They performed songs like Soul Man, Hold On I’m Coming, Hard To Handle, Under the Boardwalk, Lets Stay Together and finished up with a fantastic version of Shake Ya Tail Feather.

A highlight for me was when the band gave us a very tasty rendition of the Booker T and the MGs classic instrumental, Green Onions.

I’ve been to dozens of concerts and seen some of the world’s best performing and I’d have to say that this concert would be up there with the very, very best of them. When you get a band like that together the music is never in doubt. Match that level of musicianship with the extraordinary vocal talents of Guy Sebastian and you have an act that would impress audiences anywhere in the world.

If all you’ve ever seen or heard of Guy is his Australian Idol performances and his pop hit singles, as impressive as they are, you haven’t even begun to discover just how good he really is.

Looking around the audience it was obvious that it was a mixture of people who were there to see Guy and those who were there to see some living legends of soul music. I’m sure that those who simply wanted to see the band went home as true Guy Sebastian fans and that Guy’s fans went home totally sold out to soul music.

I interviewed Guy on 98.5 Sonshine FM back in October last year about The Memphis Album and about the upcoming tour. Back then he revealed that the MGs would join him on tour for the first time on Perth radio. The picture in this post was taken at the time of that interview. You can hear about his experience recording the album and working with the legends of soul music by clicking the play button on the audio player in this post.



There was also a really odd 'review' from Guy's home town... but it was so odd I won't be bothered putting it here. Never mentioned the fantastic band or music, but did mention that the fans seemed bewildered by his change of direction from Angels Brought Me Here!!!! After 5 years down the track I would definitely hope for some evolution happening.

As the photo under from the Adelaide theatre shows, there doesn't seem a whole lot of bewilderment showing and all in all, rather gave the impression that the reviewer was a rookie, asked to do a review but prob. grabbed the album, and rattled up something before she took off for the Easter break! As someone said, perhaps she thought the (legendary band) were a few people from his local church?
:haha:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Isound/GuySebastian-AdelaideGigs1921Mar-8.jpg

ps adding for those into Guy's gospel music -
pinkfrangipani7 has added to youtube some from his Easter shows he did yesterday, after flying back from West Australia post his final concert with the MGs on Saturday night

[Prinia]

2008 Guy has certainly matured
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/midsummer16/DSCF7042-1.jpg

[Prinia]

Because He Lives

Here is the link for the file you uploaded:
http://download.yousendit.com/1E5D7F8D23456C55

from the Hillsong Easter special at the Sydney Convention Centre

there will be others, which I'll edit in here.

And I'll add to the Angels thread later - but Angels the Musical is on casting call RIGHT NOW!!

I did message them on their Myspace - we should be Guy's more pop version of "One True Friend" later in the year :)

[Prinia]

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g194/musiqsoulove/IMG_01382-1.jpg

thanks to ShaUn from Guy's OF - its his siggie

final curtain, in Perth West Australia