Dear All

Andrew gave us a good report of the Melbourne concerts and also the very favourable newspaper reviews, so I'll just add a few of my thoughts briefly. If you're waiting with tickets in hand, you might want to give this e-mail a miss. I'd hate to spoil it for you ...

I saw the Hobart and the first two Melbourne concerts and they were fantastic. It was so good to see the group sing again - all twelve new songs from Future Road and many of the old favourites. Judith was in fine voice, not only with her magnificent singing but also introducing songs and chatting in between numbers - Athol and Judith did most of the introductions.

The first hour went so quickly beginning with "... Another You" and finishing with "Keep a dream in your pocket". If I had to choose a favourite from the first half it would have to be the fourth song Keith's beautiful "Guardian Angel/Guiding Light". Judith sang with such passion and emotion. One wonders just how she keeps it up night after night - such an inspirational person. I was also pleased to see Keith playing the familiar guitar riffs in songs such as Another You, Calling Me Home and, in the second half A World of our Own. >From memory, in the 1993 concerts the backing guitarist played them. Keith's twelve string was magical.

The second half began with a Treble Clef bracket - at the left of the stage, with lamps, coffee table and even a mist representing smoke, sat Judith, Keith in the middle, Bruce on the right and Athol standing behind - and it was great - When the Stars ..., Myra (Judith said she wasn't going to dance this time because a UK reviewer said she danced like a baby elephant - but then after the song she got up briefly and she certainly wasn't elephant-like at all!) The Light from the Lighthouse followed with some interesting and amusing new lyrics added. Had the whole house in stitches. My absolute all-time favourite Seekers song was the ninth of the second half - Judith's beautiful "Colours of my life". I just love it and she certainly didn't disappoint in her rendition. Judith sat on a stool to the right of the stage to sing the poignant "Bush Girl" and then disappeared stage right for the boys to sing "I was born about 10 000 years ago", adding a few new lyrics in their own inimitable style. It was even better than the version on The Seekers At Home. "I am Australian" was passionate as we would expect and then "It's hard to leave" - wow!! It would have to be the highlight of the second half for me - such and emotional song that has meaning for so many of us - Judith sang it as though she lived it - which of course we know she did back when it was written in 1971. Party time with Gotta Love Someone and then Georgy Girl completed the second half. To standing ovations in all three concerts, the group was back for an encore of Carnival and World of, and that was the end of two hours and thirty magnificent songs.

Disappointments - well, yes, two. Firstly, the concerts had to end - the time went so quickly and I wanted it selfishly to go on and on! And secondly, the concert merchandise - apart from the absolutely excellent tour programme called the "30th Anniversary Commemorative Yearbook" written by Graham Simpson, all the merchandise is/was available through usual retail stores or, in the case of a signed photo taken for the 1993 concerts and Judith's passionate song "Australia Land of Today" on cassette, available from Musicoast. It would have been nice to have something eg fridge magnet, spoon, mug etc to add to the memorabilia collection - something unique to the 30th anniversary concerts.

Nevertheless, I had an amazing five days in Hobart and Melbourne - worth every minute and every cent. It was a memorable experience to attend two concerts in the Melbourne Concert Hall. On the fourth floor there were three glass cases containing various items of memorabilia from the 1960s, including Judith's gold record for "I'll never find another you" and the dress she wore at the Talk of the Town - the one on the live album of the same name. There were also photos, posters and a scapbook. I mentioned the tour programme in the last paragraph - it really is good (and value for money) with many photos and memorabilia I hadn't seen before. There's a pullout scrapbook and posters in the centre section containing a year by year history with pictures and text - 1963-68 and 1993-98. Graham Simpson has once again done a superb job.

At one stage in the concerts Judith spoke briefly about Motor Neurone Disease. She said that the disease has effected two to the group's families and that they were supporting the Association. She invited the audience to give a donation on the way out if we possibly could. I was pleased to see that many people were contributing to the cause as they exited the Hall.

"I am still coming back to earth after last night's superb Seekers concert at the Melbourne Concert Hall. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life, and a memory that I will treasure always. Judith was fabulous (as always!), and the harmonies and lyrics of the boys as wonderful as ever. Please don't ask me to remember the exact order of the songs! I will just say that most of the old favourites were included, as well as songs from the "Future Road" album, and material from the Silver Jubilee tour. The boys also sang "I was born ten thousand years ago".

"They performed for 2 1/2 hours, with an intermission. The audience was thrilled, including two of my children & myself and my parents (proudly representing 3 generations from the same family). One aspect of the night which really made an impression on me, was the atmosphere; it was like a night out with old friends. The group seemed to be really enjoying themselves, and when they spoke to the audience to introduce a bracket of songs etc., it was just like a chat with friends with whom they were at ease. The hardest part was getting up for work this morning! Anyhow, that's enough bragging from me!! Regards, Caroline."

What a show this one is. I tried to jot down the set lists, but they changed slightly some nights, so the list I'm sending now might not necessarily be correct.

In the first half, they did:

I'll Never Find Another You

When Will The Good Apples Fall

Red Rubber Ball

Guardian Angel

Future Road medley

It Doesn't Matter Anymore

Speak to the Sky

Time & Again

Morningtown Ride

Keep A Dream

 ____________

Interval

 ____________

Treble Clef Set (When The Stars Begin To Fall, Myra, Light from the Lighthouse, Gospel medley)

Future Road

The Shores Of Avalon

Colours of my Life

Calling Me Home

The Bush Girl

Born About 10,000 Years Ago (boys only)

I Am Australian

It's Hard To Leave

Gotta Love Someone

Georgy Girl

The Carnival Is Over

A World Of Our Own

The show has a fantastic set and excellent lighting, and the sound was wonderful. The show is very relaxed and there's a lot of funny moments, with the group all seeming to have a fantastic time on stage.

On the afternoon of the fourth concert (last Friday), I heard that the group was doing a sound check at the Concert Hall at 4p.m., so on the off chance, I thought I'd go and try my luck at seeing them arrive at the stage door, on the of chance I might be able to get some autographs.

I was so surprised to turn up and see a couple of dozen people milling around, with programs and album covers! I didn't see any of the boys, but about 4.15p.m., I saw Judith Durham arrive in a car with Graham Simpson. They both got out and through a side door, although Judith did stop and sign a couple of autographs for other people. Unfortunately, I couldn't get close enough. However, Graham Simpson appeared to recognise me from when I turned up at a book signing and talked to him about the biography.

About half an hour later, when most of the other fans had disappeared, Graham Simpson was leaving the Concert Hall and saw me still standing there. He was very friendly when I approached him, and after we'd chatted for a while, he told me to wait where I was and he'd be straight back. He returned with Judith, and she spent a few minutes saying hello to me and signing my copy of the programme.

I must say the concert program, which Graham Simpson put together, is just extraordinary. It's the best concert program I've ever seen, filled with memorabilia, photos and clippings. The credits say that everything in the program comes from either Judith or Graham Simpson's collections. It's only $15, which is really cheap for something so well put together. It has a lift-out scrapbook and a two-sided colour poster, too.

"It has taken over thirty years, but at last my dream is now reality. I am sitting inside the Melbourne Concert Hall, waiting for my favourite folk group to come on stage. The hall is packed out and there is a buzz in the audience, then at 8:10pm The Seekers appeared to a fantastic welcome! They went straight into their first number which was "I'll Never Find Another You". Throughout the night they mixed their old songs with the songs from their new album "Future Road". The stage lighting was wonderful, changing colours from yellows, orange, blues etc. The group sounded better than ever. All too soon the two and a half four show was over, and everyone had a wonderful evening! For me, I can't wait for the second show.

The next day, February 24th, I went for a long walk to try and take my mind off tonight's concert. I got to pick up my tickets and also I was told that there would be a stage pass for me. Could you imagine how excited I was! However it was short lived, as when I went for my concert ticket, there was no pass! I was told that I could see the group at the stage doors but it will not be the same. Again there was a lot of excitement in this wonderful concert hall, before the Seekers came on stage. The audience was even better than the previous night. After the show I went to the stage door, where I waited for a few hours to see my favourite group. First to show was Keith Potger, and then the most wonderful thing happened! Judith Durham came out and saw me by the stage doors, she came straight over to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss and thanked me for coming all the way from England to see them! Judith then made sure that Keith, Athol and Bruce stayed behind for a group photo. I was able to present Judith with my bouquet of flowers!

I will always remember my trip, all thanks to my favourite group in particular Judith Durham. What a voice, what a lady!"

My wife and I arrived at the Entertainment Centre just before 1900 to be sure to get a good parking bay, and fortunately we did. After us there were about four more bays further down the very last row. Surely they were not all early arrivers for The Seekers concert? Perth people are notorious for contriving to arrive halfway through the first song! In fact during the eighties it got so bad that many concerts would lock the doors two minutes before the show started and not admit anyone arriving late until intermission. It has become a tradition in Perth to have very short first halves and very long second halves.

But no, the locals were actually just adhering to another good old Perth tradition - staying back after work on St Patrick's Day and getting blotto on green beer (seriously) and the carpark was full of the half-witted ones who intended to drive home after getting a skinful.

But we were parked, an hour early, and although there was no way we could get near a bar to have our traditional gin and tonic (or green beer!) we went into the Ent Cent and bought a program and a bottle of water ($2.50 for the water and $15 for the program - the water was a rip-off but the program, already described by previous list members, was excellent value).

We took our seats early and listened to the Future Road album playing over the loudspeakers (we had been listening to it in the car on the way down, too) and played Spot the Celebrity. Unfortunately this was more difficult than usual because State Parliament was sitting to debate a bill to legalise abortion and the only celebrities we have in Perth who are not in jail are politicians and sports stars. Just in front of us was Mick Malthouse, the coach/manager of the West Coast Eagles and I know Gary Marocchi, coach of the Glory was in there somewhere. Dr Keith Woollard, national president of the Australian Medical Association was there, mysteriously carrying an umbrella for some obscure reason. Rain in March in Perth? Unheard of!

Anyway, eight o'clock came and went and still the auditorium remained half empty, even though the TV, radio and newspapers had all reported that the show was a sellout. Even allowing for the astronomical number of MPs who were in Parliament House, the place was nowhere near full. Then, at about ten past the hour, there was a flurry of activity and within minutes, the 2,500 experienced latecomers (who may have had an excuse as there was no parking left for miles around the City) filled the Ent Cent to capacity - around 8,000 for concerts, (12,000 for basketball!)

And at 2015 the lights went down and we were requested to turn off our mobile phones and advised that using cameras, video cams and tape recorders was forbidden (not that anyone heeded it - except the phones bit: no-one wanted to miss a single sound).

Then Keith walked onto the stage, followed by Bruce, who has stacked on a fair bit of weight since last September. Then the delightful, diminutive, elf-like figure of Judith walked out and the crowd went wild (in Perth that means some people politely hand clapped). Athol protectivcely brought up the rear and they made their way to the front of the stage to take up their familiar KBJA lineup.

They launched straight into I'll Never Find Another You and it was marvellous! The Seekers were back in Perth and all was well with the world! Heaven on Wellington Street! Within seconds that whole great barn of a place was rocking! The average age was probably 49 (the modal average age of Seekers fans is 49 years: scientific fact!) and at least 75% were English immigrants. Every one of them from a three year old boy in front of us, through to an old chap in his late eighties who had to be escorted to his seat by two nurses, Old Mr Grace-style, knew every song by heart.

But up on the stage, Keith was really grooving. He so obviously enjoys performing and although they must have played those songs thousands of times, they still put everything they had into every note. Bruce was smiling more than usual and cracked a few funnies during the evening. Athol, looking even scruffier than usual, was beaming all over his face and darling little Judith looked almost beside Herself with glee!

The program was varied with their old familiar songs interspersed with their Future Road songs and a handful of their 25th Reunion songs - Keep a Dream in Your Pocket, Time and Again and of course, I am Australian, which brought the house down! Why on earth Charles Fisher ever thought he could get off with recording Judith singing it with second rate performers when she does it so perfectly with Bruce is beyond me and was an additional thing to prove to me that he is not really suitable as their record producer. The other thing was the quality of their live show - the blokes contributed lustily to the harmonies, blending their strong tenors and baritone so beautifully with Judith's clear alto that it seems a crime when you listen to the record afterwards and hear mainly Judith!

Introducing I am Australian, Athol said the song was an anthem which has brought together Australians of all colours. He said being an Australian is not something we need to debate every day, but this song makes so many people aware of what being an Australian really means and what it has taken to achieve this status.

All four were thoroughly enjoying themselves and interacting with the audience in the front rows - one of whom presented Judith with a large bouquet of flowers.

The stage deserves a mention. In the first half, there was a painted backdrop of a room with a window overlooking Future Road, disappearing into the distance. The lighting effects were exceptional and soft enough that some of the time you could even pick out Judith's features (unfortunately, she had so much pancake on that most of the time all you could see was a pale blur with a dark mouth and eyes.) The blokes, though, were not so heavily made up and the lighting was not so harsh on their features.

The first half only lasted around forty minutes and then there was a half hour break. My wife said there was a long queue at the Ladies Room, probably suffering the effects of all that pre-show green beer!

Straight after the intermission, they performed their Treble Clef set, which has already been described on this list. Judith announced She would not dance in Myra as some English critic had described it as looking like a baby elephant. However, at the end of the song, She stood up and did a brief, elegant twirl around the front of the stage. They sung a number of old songs, even doing some of the corny old one-liners which every folkie knew by heart back in those great old early sixties.

Another mention here of the blokes' singing voices: they are very talented singers and to suppress them is like having a pie without tomato sauce! Unthinkable! But the Terrible Trio didn't only excel themselves with their vocal abilities - having only three backing musicians (Telecaster, keyboard and drums - oh and accordian in Time and Again) Keith, Bruce and Athol showed they are still first class instrumentalists. Athol's double bass was especailly a treat as during the previous tour, the electric bass drowned him out and it is obvious a studio musician does the same on the record.

While mentioning The Seekers' instrumental abilities, one must mention Judith's fabulous kazoo solo in Speak to the Sky!

After playing Future Road, Bruce made special mention of the fact that Keith's co-writers, Trevor Spencer and Boyd Wilson, who live in Perth as does Keith, were in the audience. What a tremendous thrill that must have been for them!

The audience was clapping along with every song by now and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Judith went off for a little while while the other three sang I was Born Ten Thousand Years Ago, which I hadn't heard sung live in thirty five years (it was one of those pseudo funny university type songs which young men in horn rimmed glasses used to find amusing to write and sing in coffee shops on campus - I know, I was one of them! Blush!) When She came back on (you don't mind if I capitalise the S when referring to Judith, do you?) She had changed again, this time into a lovely royal blue dress which I am not going to describe further. The boys were still wearing their traditional Keith Orange, Bruce Pale Blue and Athol Dark Blue shirts and black daks.

They came back for three curtain calls, singing The Carnival is Over, A World of our Own and Georgy Girl. The only Future Road song they missed was Judith's It's Hard To Leave. Other than I am Australian, I would say It Doesn't Matter Any More was the best received, even more so than Morning Town Ride, in which the audience sang more of it than The Seekers themselves did! (Athol said you almost have to defy audiences to not sing that one.)

The second half, including ovations and curtain calls, lasted exactly one hour - a total of one hundred and five minutes for the entire show.

My wife says this time The Seekers were more relaxed on stage and enjoyed entertaining us more than in 1993. As usual I didn't disagree with her (I wouldn't dare, anyway!) It struck me that Judith looks much healthier and younger even than She did in '93 or '94 at the AFL Grand Final. Her figure is fantastic and she is so active and agile on stage, she appears younger than women ten or fifteen years her junior. Keith still looks as dashing and handsome as ever and Bruce didn't look so serious as he often does. His big, sad puppy dog eyes sparkled and I think he really comes to life with The Seekers! Athol, of course, is still the laid back, avuncular character who everyone loves and respects. I think he relishes that role.

Now, I am going to indulge myself with trying to describe what it was like actually seeing them on stage again after clutching those tickets since May last year! It was literally thrilling! They look so right together on stage, like they belong together. Even The Beatles, who were such a familiar sight on TV in the sixties, never fitted together so tidily as these four fabulous Australians. It seemed incredible that these four figures in front of me were actually my idols in the flesh. If someone had said they were actually only holograms, I would have found that easier to believe. That is true fan worship!

I really feel privileged to have witnessed that concert and felt the warmth of thousands of people who all love The Seekers and their music. I wish so much I could share it with all of you in Europe, North America and anywhere else you are reading this. I hope The Seekers will tour to your part of the world and bring to you the magic that I experienced last night. My wife hopes they will produce a video recording of concerts on this tour, and so do I, as it will give some of you a chance to enjoy, vicariously, what has been for me, one of the greatest concerts I have ever attended.