Just over a week ago I was lucky enough to live out the long-time dream of watching one of the greatest Rock & Roll bands of Australian history performing live. In case you’ve been living under a rock, Divinyls reformed earlier this year, and their first stop on their reunion tour was Geelong’s Wool Exchange Nightclub. For those unaware, Chrissy Amphlett – Divinyls frontwoman/general Goddess – was born and grew up right here in Geelong, my hometown and place of birth. So to have Amphlett – who was able to get out of this town and really make something of herself – performing only a few minutes drive away from where I lived was quite cathartic, though it’s probably something only someone from Geelong would be able to understand (Emma! Yes, would you agree?! PS: I love you!)

My friends Ben, Michelle, Libby and I were the first people at the venue and were lucky enough to hear the majority of the bands soundcheck whilst we waited outside. The band, originally scheduled to come on at 9pm – finally graced the stage at 9:45pm, to many screams, screams, and more screams. Opening with Science Fiction, Chrissy walked onto the stage donning a sexy black number, a top hat and black sunglasses; the girl was HAWT. A subdued and glorious version of Pleasure & Pain followed, as did Only Lonely, Good Die Young, and new single Don’t Wanna Do This. Chrissy cheekily interacted with the crowd, swaying from side to side, sounding very posh as she announced “I’m from here… I’m from Geelong… did you know that?” Of course, getting the response she wanted, the crowd screamed as loud as they could.

I should point out that Mark McEntee, Chrissy’s long-time musical partner in crime, was unintentionally hilarious, vague, and still bares everything the fans love about him. He can still play a seriously tight kick-arse guitar, proving he’s not lost any of the cool he had all those years ago. Just sayin’.

One of the best moments of the evening was the performance of I’m Jealous, one of the most gorgeous and heartbreaking Divinyls songs of all time. Not surprisingly, I managed to record some of that very performance on my trust phone video camera. Let’s take a peek…

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Sleeping Beauty, Make Out Alright and Aint Gonna Eat Out My Heart all took the walls down, but nowhere near as much as Boys In Town. No full recording of that performance, but let’s take a look at the original video clip, so as to understand why people regard this track as one of the biggest Australian Rock Classics of all time. It is also a song about Geelong, FYI.

Please note there is no “The” in the name Divinyls, contrary to what Rage at the ABC/people from Australian Idol/Future Entertainment’s HOT BBQ promoters would have you believe.

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After a rapturous round of cheers following the bands goodnight, the guys returned to the stage for the encore, with drummer, New Yorker Charley (Chrissy’s husband) emerging with a Geelong Football Club Jumper. The crowd fucking lost it, as Chrissy told the audience her hubby had been a supporter for many years, “even when they were at the bottom of the ladder.” Finally, the crowd were given I Touch Myself (definitely their most successful track, and whilst it is still an absolute gem, it’s far from being their best,) and Bless My Soul (It’s Rock & Roll) as the finale. During I Touch Myself, Chrissy extended out her arm and played with the hands of the people in the front row, one of those people being ME. Chrissy Amphlett – Rock Royalty – Touched My Self!!

Chrissy gave each of us in the front area enough fabulous glares, making enough eye contact for us to have been more than overjoyed by the evening. Days later, Chrissy announced during an interview on A Current Affair that she has been battling Multiple Sclerosis, or MS, which upset me to a great deal. It’s of no surprise though that, amidst her illness, Chrissy is out, touring, performing night after night and being the true rock star she is. I guess performing again is doing her more a world of good then we could have ever thought.

I was pretty upset that Elsie, my favourite Divinyls song, was left off the setlist, as was Siren, another of my faves. Because I would like to share Elsie with you, you can download an MP3 of it below. It’s a truly gut-wrenching, heartbreaking song filled with honest, raw emotion, with an epic ending I would have probably cried over hearing live. So maybe it was lucky they left it off then, hey?…

Divinyls – Elsie (MP3 | 320 kbps | Sharebee)

If you have a fleeting passion for Divinyls or Chrissy, I urge you to purchase a copy of her autobiography, Pleasure & Pain: My Life as soon as possible. It is quite possibly the greatest music autobiography you will ever read.

Here are some pics from the show, and below that, some more YouTube Divinyls classics. If you’re into the more poppier stuff, give Science Fiction and the Gina Riley cover a go…

PLEASURE & PAIN (VIDEO CLIP)

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SIREN (VIDEO CLIP)

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BACK TO THE WALL (VIDEO CLIP)

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SCIENCE FICTION (VIDEO CLIP)

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GINA RILEY (KIM FROM KATH & KIM) HOMAGE TO I TOUCH MYSELF

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