The Streets in Sydney

THE STREETS
The Forum, Entertainment Quarter
05/02/09

With the crowd chanting his surname, The Streets’ Mike Skinner took to the stage looking the archetypal English geezer in a white t-shirt, khaki shorts and pearly white trainers and with an earring glistening in his left ear. Backed by a four-piece band and sharing vocal duties with the talented Kevin Mark Trail, Skinner launched into tracks from his latest album and early hits like Don’t Mug Yourself. While, as a live entity, The Streets didn’t offer much in the way of song-to-song variety, Skinner’s wry take on modern life still sounded fun, if slightly hackneyed. However, the few occasions his band offered something different were especially pleasing. A cover of The Prodigy’s Out Of Space oozed adrenaline, and a tribute to Skinner’s late father, the touching Never Went To Church, saw him uncharacteristically reverential.

Regardless of the general lack of diversity or of how relevant The Streets remain in 2009, the night was really all about Skinner’s interaction with the crowd. He came across as a genuinely lovely chap and, not put off by the fact that Sydney punters are way too cool to actually enjoy themselves, was clearly determined to ensure every member of the audience had fun. “Are you still alive?” he joked, placing his fingers on his pulse, before seemingly trying to make eye-contact with each person in the room. “Can you hear me? Can you see me?” he asked umpteen times before issuing intricate orders to participate. He led singalongs, organised synchronised jumping and threw schooners of beer to people in the front rows. “When the drummer stands up, you freeze,” he demanded. The drummer rose, the room came to a complete standstill. A surreal moment. More bizarre participation followed, with Skinner telling everyone to crouch during a piano part. The band came back in, everyone leapt up and danced like crazy.

A few more old songs, inevitably including Fit But You Know It, brought the night to a close, but not before Skinner insisted on trying the crouching thing again because a couple of a people on the balcony didn’t take part the first time. “Do you want to have a good time? Are you with me?” he questioned. By this stage, the answer was a resounding yes, even from Sydney’s reluctant cool kids.

Review by Rob Townsend