Steeleye Span & Ralph McTell

19th March 2004, Melbourne, Victoria

A review by Clive Byerley

Melbourne, Victoria.

SS and Ralph Mctell's gig in Melbourne was a sell-out with many waiting hopefuls looking for cancellations - therefore high expectations of the decidedly "mature" and knowledgeable audience.

Ralph.
Excellent performance: interesting, amusing and informative; instrumental numbers were well received and crisply played - the vocals were less clear and sometimes inaudible because of poor sound balance. For a life-long SS fan this turned out to be the best part of the evening :-( Worth the money just for him!

Steeleye Span.
As a performance I'd give it a C- for effort over clarity and accuracy. Gaudete had to be re-started after a false beginning; Maddy seemed to be avoiding using her upper register; once she could sail like a bird over the loudest backing and hold her own against the men, I thought she was saving herself(?) for later in the tour - or has last some of the sparkle and vivacity she once had to hold us spellbound. Third row from the front was perfect for R MC.T but far too loud for SS. I was one of the people with fingers in their ears to avoid making my tinnitus worse.
The mixture of old and newer material was pleasing but Liam Genocky ( the best drummer they have ever had in my opinion ) was for too loud and overbearing. Again sound balancing is to blame. It was a good night out, but after so much anticipation I left with a low spirit and the thought that perhaps, outside of the recording studio, Steeleye Span had passed their useby date.

Sack the roadies - or employ some!

Clive Byerley