Live review: Powerfinger, Newcastle Entertainment Centre

There are few Aussie bands that have achieved as much as Powderfinger domestically. They have forged a career marked by sustained popularity and critical acclaim. They boast five No. 1 albums, a truckload of ARIAs – they’ve barely put a foot wrong.

Over the next two months, this career will come to an end and the Newcastle Entertainment Centre was treated to the first farewell gig of the band’s Sunsets tour.

They kicked off their set on Wednesday night with a blistering take on Love Your Way – indicating the type of passion fans could expect for the next two hours.

Given this was the band’s swan song, they could have been tempted to lapse into self-indulgence; instead, the Brisbane five-piece stuck to their hits.

There were memorable moments galore: the capacity crowd sing-along to My Happiness, the gospel-tinged take on Passenger, the Led Zep-inspired outro to On My Mind and the euphoric heights of the new song Burn Your Name.

There were surprises too. After a short intermission, the band appeared on a small stage at the back of the room and kicked into what would be best described as the Rockin’ Rocks bracket – Like A Dog, Belter and the forgotten Double Allergic gem Electric Horseman. Hell, there was even a drum solo from Jon Coghill for good measure. This highlight, received rapturously by the usually neglected punters at the back, was typical. It wasn’t just the Bernard Fanning show; every band member got their moment.

Although they are a band that has been unmistakably political – think Like A Dog and The Day You Come – this is not how they will be remembered.

Powderfinger’s legacy is a string of classic tunes about love and devotion. Honest, no-frills rock songs that are personal and anthemic all at once. It’s an enviable legacy.