Aerosmith Play One Great Rock Show For Melbourne

There are so few great rock and roll bands still around but for one of the great rock shows of all-time you really need to see Aerosmith.

Steven Tyler, Aerosmith, Noise11, Ros O'Gorman, Photo

Steven Tyler, Aerosmith, Photo By Ros O'Gorman

Aerosmith are the complete package. The songs, the sound, the look all align for a venomous show as exciting as any other act on the planet.

It has now been 40 years since that first self-titled album but a song like ‘Dream On’ is still as potent a live song today as it was in 1973.

This is a catalogue cannot be messed with. Aerosmith opened with ‘Love In An Elevator’ and threw rock classics like ‘Janie’s Got A Gun’ and ‘Livin’ On The Edge’ into the middle of a set when most acts today would have to save their songs of that calibre for an encore.

What was evident with Aerosmith live is that these guys have been doing this for so long that they literally mould into a single entity live.

Everyone in Aerosmith has a key role to play and live you can understand why this is about the sum of the parts, not the individuals. Joey Kramer is the backbone of the band, keeping the band in time from his drummer throne. Joe Perry is like the musical director keeping up the momentum, while Brad Whitford is the equaliser of the sound. Singer Stephen Tyler is a maestro wrapped in a rock star.

Unfortunately original bass player Tom Hamilton had taken ill and was absent from the Melbourne show. In his place, David Hull, who has played with Perry in the Joe Perry Project, was flown out to fill-in for the shows.

It was a shame the audience numbers were down for Aerosmith. The 23-year absence from Australia took its toll on ticket sales and this band needed to reacquaint with the core fans and reminding them how great they really sounds.

The setlist for Aerosmith from Melbourne, April 28, 2013 was:

Love In An Elevator (from Pump, 1989)
Toys In The Attic (from Toys In The Attic, 1975)
Jaded (from Just Push Play, 2001)
Oh Yeah (from Music from Another Dimension, 2012)
Cryin’ (from Get A Grip, 1993)
Livin’ On The Edge (from Get A Grip, 1993)
Janie’s Got A Gun (from Pump, 1989)
Stop Messin’ Around (from Honkin On Bobo, 2004)
I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing (from Armageddon soundtrack 1998)
No More No More (from Toys In The Attic, 1975)
What It Takes (from Pump, 1989)
Come Together (from Sgt Pepper soundtrack 1978)
Dude (Looks Like A Lady) (from Permanent Vacation, 1987)
Walk This Way (from Toys In The Attic, 1975)

Dream On (from Aerosmith, 1973)
Sweet Emotion (from Toys In The Attic, 1975)
Train Kept A-Rollin’ (from Get Your Wings, 1974)

Aerosmith will perform two more shows in Australia with The Dead Daisies.

Dates are:

May 1, Brisbane, Entertainment Centre
May 4, Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena