One of the last times Neil Finn appeared on a stage in Perth was in 2019 as a member of Fleetwood Mac, in a performance that included several of his own songs. He has been humble about this, but the fact that ‘Fleetwood Mac: guitarist/vocalist’ is just one of the entries on his CV speaks indelibly about his achievements. He respectfully crashed the gates of Buckingham Palace.
The first time Crowded House appeared on a stage in Perth was in 1987 at the long ago demolished Entertainment Centre. They were so hot right then; flotsam jetsam in outlook, comedic and poignant and dazzle-may-care, with all their vocal and instrumental chops in play. They were breaking the US, having already burst into our hearts, with Finn out front leading bassist Nick Seymour and late drummer Paul Hester (and touring keyboardist Eddie Rayner). They opened with the first track from their recently released self-titled debut album produced by Mitchell Froom, who now plays keyboards in the band. It was perfect.
