Since coming second to Guy Sebastian in the first season of Australian Idol in 2003, pop rocker Shannon Noll has become one of the most commercially successful recording artists in his country. He is the first artist to have 10 consecutive top 10 singles on the ARIA Charts, including five number ones.
In March 2009, he began his national acoustic tour, an "up close and personal" show hosted by broadcaster Nick Bennett.
The First Set: Covers
Just after 7pm, people began lining up at Door 2 of the Burswood Theatre, where Noll had played less than 12 months earlier on his No Turning Back tour. Noll’s shows attract a surprisingly diverse crowd, although this one was notably smaller than his previous gig at the venue.
Noll and the band took to the stage at 8pm, with the first set comprising a selection of covers. The interpretations of each song were quite standard but fans would have enjoyed hearing Noll talk about them in the intimate setting, with his infectious larrikin charm.
“Me daughter just loves dancing,” he told the crowd, to which an audience member yelled “I love dancing!”. Noll responded by ad libbing part of “Dancing Queen” with his own words before continuing: “Anyway, at the end of this song it just shows how much he loves this girl because he’d run miles, he’d run across deserts to find her, y’know? I think that reminds me of my mum and dad too so I think that’s why I like it as well.” He then launched into an emotional rendition of Tonic’s “Soldier’s Daughter”.
Perhaps the highlight of the set for the audience was the Crowded House classic “Better Be Home Soon” which everyone could sing along to.
The rest of the band left Noll alone with a guitar as he rounded out the first set with Silverchair’s “Shade”.
Shannon Noll In Conversation
Bennett began the “In Conversation” part of the show by asking Noll about his Australian Idol experience. Noll said his “Aussie battler” background had probably helped him appeal to audiences on Idol but thanked his fans for helping him sustain the initial success. Bennett then went around the audience with a microphone, giving fans the chance to ask questions.
One girl tearfully declared she was in love with Noll and proposed to him. Noll invited her to the stage for a kiss on the cheek but reminded her that he was already married and polygamy was illegal in Australia. Another young girl asked if Noll would dedicate a song in his second set to her father who had recently died; he agreed. Later, Noll sang a version of the Michael Jackson “Happy Birthday Lisa” song from The Simpsons for another audience member.
Noll also reflected on his time in the United States working with the likes of producer Luke Ebbin, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, and songwriter Desmond Child. He said in the US he had been judged purely on his voice, music and attitude, as opposed to being derided purely because he was a product of Idol. However, he conceded there was also a strong perception that Idol alumni only appealed to those who had watched the show, reflected in the way American Kelly Clarkson had been the only winner or runner-up to have built a significant international career.
The Second Set: Shannon Noll Unplugged
This set highlighted the strong stage chemistry between Noll and his bassist and guitarist Matt Cornell, who exchanged constant banter and delighted the audience with their Elvis Presley and Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonations. Cornell also took a photograph for a girl who came onto the stage to give Noll a pair of underpants, which Noll joked he would take home as a present. “If anyone breaks a G-string on the guitar, I’ve got another one,” he added.
The most touching moment of the night was “Now I Run”, which Noll dedicated to the father of the aforementioned young girl. He offered her some inspiring words from his own experience: “He’s the calming feeling that comes across you when you believe in yourself and when you win. He’s the one who’s giving you advice when you don’t even know it. He’s right there beside you, darling, you just can’t see him anymore, that’s all.”
The crowd was again mesmerised when Noll performed a haunting new song called “Alone” from his upcoming album, written about a girlfriend who was killed in a car accident.
Fans were also treated to rarer album tracks like “Wise” and “Before We Say Goodbye”.
The main set closed with early hit single “Drive”. The band was forced to repeat the opening bars several times while waiting for Noll to finish signing autographs in the front row.
Encore
Despite being far from sold out, the sound of applause, foot stomping and chants of “Shan-non, Shan-non” after the band left the stage was thunderous. Noll and the band dutifully resumed their positions and began the encore with “Shine”. Noll then encouraged fans to move up to the front of the theatre as he completed the show with “What About Me”, the Moving Pictures song he made famous to a new generation.
In The Raw in Perth may not have been a sell-out but the fans in attendance left having witnessed a truly unique evening with one of Australia’s underrated live performers.
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