While devoted Socceroos supporters who’ve made the trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup might be doing it tough given the Aussies’ performance in the tournament (spoiler alert, not great), a collective of musicians from some of Australia’s most recognisable bands did their part to trump up the national spirits last week.
A group of kitted-out Australian soccer fanatics were treated to a one-night only gig from an Aussie supergroup at Porto Alegre’s Bar Opinião in Rio on Monday 16th June, performing national rock classics like ‘Khe Sanh’, ‘The Power And The Passion’, and ‘Never Tear Us Apart’.
The all-star five-piece featured Spiderbait drummer Kram, guitarists Davey Lane (from You Am I) and Darren Middleton (of Powderfinger fame), alongside ex-Jet bassist Mark Wilson and Electric Mary vocalist Rusty Brown.
The supergroup gave fans a serious dose of home with their 14-song setlist checking off covers of pub rock perennials (AC/DC, Cold Chisel), 80s anthems (INXS, Hunters & Collectors), a tribute to deceased Aussie frontman Jim Keays (The Masters Apprentices’ ‘It’s Because I Love You), and material from the members’ own bands, as FasterLouder reports.
A few slices of the show were captured on social media by fans on ground at the show, including renditions of Spiderbait’s ‘Buy Me A Pony’ and ‘Shazam!’, while the bandmates were able to take time out to enjoy Brazilian beaches.
The supergroup’s Brazilian show was organised by sports events and touring group, The Fanatics, who flew over the musicians to treat their Socceroo supporting members to a rallying party ahead of the team’s match against the Netherlands this past weekend (kind of like the sports equivalent of the Army taking Bliss N Eso to entertain the Aussie troops).
You can view footage of the sports tour group’s World Cup activities in the video below, as well as the Aussie band rocking through AC/DC’s ‘High Voltage’ (from the 2:50 min mark).
View more images of the all-star Aussie band below, along with the full setlist.
(Photo: Saltwater Images. Source: Facebook)
(Photo: Saltwater Images. Source: Facebook)
(Source: Facebook)
Setlist:
Buy Me A Pony (Spiderbait)
Baby I Got You On My Mind (Powderfinger)
Shazam! (Spiderbait)
Never Tear Us Apart (INXS)
Look What You’ve Done (Jet)
High Voltage (AC/DC)
The Power and The Passion (Midnight Oil)
It’s Because I Love You (The Master’s Apprentices)
Khe Sahn (Cold Chisel)
Are You Gonna Be My Girl? (Jet)
My Happiness (Powderfinger)
Holy Grail (Hunters and Collectors)
Don’t Change (INXS)
Black Betty (Spiderbait)
