Ed solo before opening band: I Am A Patriot, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Ed with Betchadupa: History Never Repeats
Set List: Can't Keep, Save You, Hail Hail, Corduroy, Grievance, Ghost, Cropduster, Dissident, Given To Fly, Even Flow, I Am Mine, Love Boat Captain, Wishlist, Thumbing My Way, Better Man, Lukin, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror;
1st encore: Bushleaguer, Daughter/(War by Edwin Starr), Black, Do The Evolution, Alive;
2nd encore: The Kids Are Alright by the Who, Yellow Ledbetter

I went to the first gig on Tuesday and the songs were a little similar tonight bar a few. I don't know which night was the best. On one hand Tuesday had excitement of it being the first night in Sydney and also the first gig of two for me. It was great to hear songs I didn't hear on the last tour like Immortality, Black, Not For You and Spin The Black Circle. Tuesday was such a trip!! (Except for the assholes, probably the sus guys behind us in Section D Row 5 seats 13 -14, who stealing our friends bag, with phone ad $100+ and then drained her bank account within an hour.) On the other hand last night was not quite as exciting for me, having seen them on Tuesday. However siting in the 4th row smack bang in the middle more than made up for that. Oh and yeah we got to see Ed play a few songs before Betchadupa played. He had done it the 2 nights before and I missed it on Tuesday, so we made sure we got in their early just in case he did it again. He played You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Beatles) and another song, which I think was Dead Man (correct me if I'm wrong). Then he got up with Betchadupa and did a cover of History Never Repeats (Split Enz). Liam saying Just before it they were ''a fuckin' lucky bunch of guys" (not his exact words).

So I'll just go over the highlights and not try to be song by song descriptive.

Having Cant keep first was good cause it was different to Tuesday where we got Long Road, which I love as an opener. While on the topic of deferent sets its great to see that PJ's shows are pretty much different every night. I've seen other bands twice on a tour and they really don't change the show and it's a little disappointing.

Hail Hail was a nice inclusion and Corduroy rocked as it did on Tuesday. Mike's solos kick ass - he has some serious chops! Dissident was, another first for me, was a great sing along. Excellent guitar riff!! Given To Fly seemed to rock even more this time with people almost moshing in their seats and Even Flow was a highlight as always. I'll just say they played more new stuff last night which I really enjoyed on Tuesday but last night I was really hanging for classics so I'm not really calling the newies a highlight.

There's nothing like 12000 people singing along to Better Man, I enjoyed that both nights, although it is debatably over played. Then they dropped in Lukin! That was short but ever so rockingly sweet!! I thought they may have gone into not for you but it didn't happen. Rearveiwmirror ended the set and was just as good as Tuesday.

Now I said the new stuff wasn't really a highlight as I was hanging for some classics. However Bushleaguer was absolute gold, with Eddie coming out in a shinny gold jacket and a George Bush mask which was received hugely by the audience. The crowd also went nuts when he put the mask into the 'suck my dick George' position. This started the anti war part of the set. Daughter was next up with the 'War, What is it good' for tag. He had the crowd fully in to this with the audience chanting the answer "Absolutely Nothing!!! Black and do the evolution were next with Black seeming to have an infinite fade out. Mike was just fully on a guitar trip as he soloed and faded out himself with the crowd singing ''do do do do do do do". That was awesome!!!!! We next got what is somewhat of a rarity at a gig these days. Eddie said "umm we are just gonna try something here" then stone cracked in to Alive. I wouldn't have minded if they didn't play it cause I can understand where they are coming from. They may have got to a point where they didn't want to be known as "that band who plays that Alive song, who are they again?" . I know I'd want to be known as the band who writes heaps of good songs beside those that are singles and that can put on an awesome show without relying on the hits. Nonetheless this absolutely kicked ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The crowd knew every word and was sometimes louder than the band itself. The solo seemed to go forever, without being a wank. It was completely tasteful. This ended the 1st encore.

When Ed returned by himself, he asked if he could be serious for a moment. This was awesome cause in 3 seconds the crowd came to a complete hush. He told us that if we don't want a war the way to stop it is to get out in numbers and attend the anti war rallies and other things like that. He said this is the only way to show these governments who think they are representing us that they are not. This got a huge applause!! He made an announcement for where and when some anti war rallies were. So glad all that was on the radio!! (should have been on triple j though!) He then proclaimed the innocence of Pete Townshend, saying that he had known him very well and that he had been accused of the very think he has been campaigning to stop (paedophilia/child abuse). With that he cracked into a few Pete Townshend windmill guitar strums and then did a cover of The Who's The Kids Are Alright. I wasn't to familiar with the song but Ed doing it by himself was gold. Finally the band returned to play Yellow Ledbetter. With the whole song played with the house lights on. Now while this song was played people were leaving!!!!!!!!!! What the fuck for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Ed saw em and made a gesture to say 'pikers!' to em. I can understand leaving a footy game early but not a concert. What was there to gain by leaving early? Missing a kick ass song. I'm also not hugely familiar with the song, I only know it from the DVD and a live CD I heard just before the gig, but it was a great way to finish.

So all in all both nights just as good, however for different reasons. I am so glad I went twice and nobody can convince me that it wasn't. Thanks to the band for 2 x 2h 15m shows (that is so rare for bands now days) and thanks for inspiring me to play music.

Ben

Wow what an amazing show...The guys were absolutely fantastic tonight, having like the band for the past 9yrs I couldn't believe I was standing right in front of them, Mike, Ed, Stone, Jeff, Matt and Boom there right in front of my eyes, the boys were going off for their last Sydney gig...

The crowd knew it was going to be an awesome night, when Ed supported 'Betchadup' with History Never Repeats, the night only got better from there on in...

The band played a lot of songs from their new album, they were on the radio for the #3 Sydney show and to hear all the new songs live was fantastic, good to see they chucked in classics like 'Even Flow' 'Better Man' and 'Rearviewmirrow' but the song of the night was easily 'Alive' was worth $80 just to hear that puppy...

A real anti-war theme with this concert, with 'Bushleaguer' and the 'Daughter' tag being 'War' and it was good to see Ed putting on the George W Bush mask and dancing around the stage in his silver jacket...

But as always time gets to you and before we knew, it was all over, awesome band, great music, and I hope they'll be in Sydney again....