Living Colour are back in Australia for the first time since 2018 and their song of choice to open the first show of the Australian tour was Led Zeppelin’s classic ‘Rock and Roll’.
With a Led Zep song to start, a Prince song in the middle as a tribute to Sinead O’Connor, a hip-hop medley in the set and a Clash cover near the end, Living Colour were definitely in Classic Rock mode. They also kept the Classic Rock format going with their own songs, only sourcing the three 20th century albums ‘Vivid’, ‘Time’s Up’ and ‘Stain’ for the show and nothing after 1993’s ‘Stain’ making ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ from 1993 the newest song in the setlist.
That was certainly playing to the audience. Vernon Reid, Corey Glover, Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish are considered the archetypical Living Colour line-up although Doug joined on the third album ‘Stain’.
Doug Wimbish … now there was a find. When Doug came to Living Colour he had already played on Grandmaster Flash ‘The Message’ and ‘White Lines’. He had recently been the bass player on Madonna’s ‘Erotica’, Annie Lennox ‘Diva’ and Mick Jagger’s ‘Primitive Cool’ and would later play bass for the Rolling Stones on ‘Bridges To Babylon’.
Living Colour have always been about quality not quantity. There have only been six albums since 1988, three in the 20th century and three in the 21st century and nothing since 2017.
The evening highlight was definitely Corey Glover singing The Clash classic ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ from the audience.
Living Colour setlist Melbourne 4 September 2023.
Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin cover)
Leave It Alone (from Stain, 1993)
Middle Man (from Vivid, 1998)
Funny Vibe (from Vivid, 1998)
Nothing Compares 2 U (Prince/Sinead O’Connor cover)
Open Letter To A Landlord (from Vivid, 1998)
Doug Hip-Hop tribute
Glamour Boys (from Vivid, 1998)
Ignorance Is Bliss (from Stain, 1993)
Times Up (from Time’s Up, 1990)
Should I Stay Or Should I Go (The Clash cover)
Cult of Personality (from Vivid, 1998)
Type (from Time’s Up, 1990)
TOUR DATES
Monday, Sept 4, Forum Theatre, Melbourne
Wed, Sept 6: Regal Theatre, Perth
Friday, Sept 8: Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide
Sunday, Sept 10: Forum Theatre, Melbourne SOLD OUT
Tues, Sept 12: Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Wed, Sept 13: Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane
Thurs, Sept 14: The Forum, Melbourne NEW SHOW
https://zaccariaconcerts.com.au/current-tours/extreme-and-living-colour
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