Elvis Costello And The Imposters

The Palais, St. Kilda 4-4-2024

Elvis Costello is the only Elvis for me. On the 4th of April 2024, I am about to witness Elvis for the 24th time. Tickets were about 8 dollars the first time I saw him in 1980 and tonight they are into the triple figures.

Different times that is for certain.

That might have been a good name for this tour:

Elvis Costello-Different Times

The voice is a delicate instrument and age takes its toll. With reviews of the Sydney Opera House earlier in the week saying it was one of the worst performances by him in decades and people calling for the undertaker, there was a slight bit of trepidation on my behalf. The thought of selling the tickets before the show entered my mind. But since I had only bought the tickets 2 weeks ago on the infamous Tixel, that was not going to happen. We were going to find out firsthand.

Simply, when you are as big a fan as me, and your daughter’s middle name is Alison, you pretty much know I am going to pay my money and take my chances. Just for the sake of history, I have only walked out of one Elvis Costello show and that was back at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on the Come Back in A Million Years Tour in 1991. Elvis looked like this:

Jerry Garcia Like Photo 1991 (Tony Mott)

Jon Casimir wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald of that show in 1991:

The equation used to be pretty simple. Concerts were either good or bad; you were euphoric, or you were catatonic. Sometimes you were neither, but only when the event was so bland that it denied you the opportunity of forming an opinion.

Elvis Costello rewrote the rule book on Friday night with a performance that was beyond mere patchiness, that veered dramatically from one tune to the next, lurching from the unlistenable to the irresistible.

Having seen him in various formats from solo to duo with Steve Nieve to the original Attractions, I understand that some nights just don’t work out. When you have performed over 2,500 concerts, are fast approaching 70, and have had a cancer scare recently, some days are going to be better than others.

I know that fact and I have never performed one concert. Let me just look in the mirror….on second thoughts, no.

The Imposters have been his rock and roll band since 2001. Pete Thomas on drums, Davey Farragher on bass and Steve Nieve on all things with keys make up this unit. Special guest guitarist tonight was Charlie Sexton. I have not seen Charlie since his days with Dylan and he added some sweet licks through the lengthy set.

Mr. Costello is not one to skimp on his offerings; tonight we were handed 27 songs over 2 hours and 20 minutes. The longest Elvis Costello and Attractions show I saw was on December 31st, 1981. That night, John McFee joined the band and they made it through 44 songs as we watched the ball drop in our imaginations. Don’t ask me what time we got out of The Palladium that morning.

Blood And Hot Sauce, an unreleased track, was an early highlight. Every Day I Write The Book was simply a disaster. Vocals were not good, and it plodded along. Mose Allison’s, Mercy, was a remarkable cover where all parts of the engine were moving along in time.

Elvis prolonged the ending to I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down with a plea to the crowd to stand, stand, stand. Everyone got the not-so-subtle hint and we were all on our feet. People took to the aisles and suddenly we had a rock concert on our hands.

I have seen Elvis leave the stage after 45 minutes in Sydney because people were all sitting down. Granted this was over 20 years ago and his audience was much younger then. Today he waits until 2/3rds of the gig is over until he works some magic to get people off their asses. The dance police were at the Tedeschi Trucks show the previous night here at The Palais but for tonight they let everyone move about.

Go figure.

Costello talked about seeing his dad’s family here in Australia and spoke fondly of his time here. Before his last few numbers, he talked about how he loved coming here and being with us and sort of hinted that this may be the last time he works a stage in Australia.

Elvis closed it down with Pump It Up and a fabulous version of Nick Lowe’s {What’s So Funny ‘bout} Peace Love and Understanding. The audience lapped it up and with several waves and bows from the stage Costello and The Imposters bid us adieu until who knows when.

Elvis is still the showman, and his revolving hats and stage patter are all part of the package. There were awful moments tonight and some questionable moments, but the good outweighed the bad easily. Looking back at 24 Elvis Costello shows, I know he will always challenge us with the arrangements and song choices. That has always been part of the joy, anticipation, and excitement of seeing a songwriter who has released so many songs to the world.

Just like a box of chocolates, that’s what a Costello show is like.

Elvis is not giving up touring as he is doing a tour with Darryl Hall this North American Summer. I will be following that tour with interest. But for now, Elvis has left The Palais.

The Set List

Hetty O'Hara Confidential

Watch Your Step

Waiting for the End of the World

Taking My Life In Your Hands (Brodsky Quartet and Elvis Costello)

Everyday I Write the Book

Radio Radio

My Baby Just Squeals (You Heal)

Like Licorice on Your Tongue

Watching the Detectives

A Face in the Crowd

Blood & Hot Sauce

Everybody's Cryin' Mercy

(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes

"Dio Come Ti Amo", sung in Italian (Domenico Modugno song))

Almost Blue

Clubland / Ghost Town / Insensatez

Wonder Woman

I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down

High Fidelity

Man Out of Time

There Won't Be Anymore

She

Alison / I'm Gonna Make You Love Me

(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea

Magnificent Hurt

Pump It Up

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding