From fronting Australia’s world-conquering Easybeats to a successful solo career in the ‘70s, Stevie Wright has been involved with almost more than his fair share of true Australian classics. From the nine-to-fiver’s anthem Friday on My Mind through to the truly iconic three part epic Evie (which was a bugger to tape if you had the single – parts two and three were on the flipside, but it all segued together), it’s a legacy worth celebrating – and this is exactly what he and his band did at this gig, recorded at Adelaide’s Bridgeway Hotel back in 1987.

Eight people squeeze onto the stage, and a tightly played set highlights just how many moments of pop brilliance Stevie has had a hand in. A number of Easybeats classics share airtime with solo hits ranging from Guitar Band to the fabulous chunky riffage of Black Eyed Bruiser, all performed by an energised Stevie. Sure he may look a little worse for wear, and he’s certainly been through a lot in his life so it’s understandable, but the gusto with which he performs, and the sheer enjoyment of it all that is obvious from his almost permanent grin, can’t help but infect the audience.

Track listing:

Recorded in a pub on video tape in the ‘80s, this full frame image was certainly behind the eight ball from the start in the clarity stakes. There’s video noise aplenty, occasional dropouts and longer shots in particular see an incredible loss of detail in the image. Detail isn’t exactly helped by the relatively feeble stage lighting, or a tendency to focus in on band members – in particular the backup singers – when there is no light on them at all. OK, let’s sum it up – generally it’s a tad fuzzy and indistinct – so it approximates the pub gig experience perfectly!

While the remixed Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack sounds pretty good, it’s another instance in which you simply can’t help but imagine how fabulous it would all sound if given a bit more space to prowl about in. It does, however, bring the songs across well, and is well synched with no annoyances, other than a bit of mains hum – another staple of the whole live experience – which is noticeable between songs.

A few extras are included to beef up the package. A fairly brief biography gives a nutshell view of Stevie’s career, although some proofreading may have been in order, with his Hard Road album being referred to as Hard Rain (a band name he later adopted) at one point. A photo gallery follows, presenting 24 stills from the show with a rather big ‘Stevie Wright Band’ logo overlaid. It plays through with the live version of The Easybeats’ Sorry playing along, and runs for 3:38. Easily the best extra completes the presentation, with a 24-minute radio interview promoting the show, taken from Adelaide radio, giving a much more personal insight into Stevie and the reasons behind the gig.

Another fabulous celebration of local music, the video may not be too flash, but the performance certainly is. With scarcely a single track that isn’t a beloved Australian classic, any rock fan should lap this release up - just watch out for the blonde backing singer’s hair though, if you’re not careful it could have your eye out...