(Liberation)

Put your hands together for No. 2, bigger and better than No. 1

If you’ve ever seen the television show, which has run for some years now, you’d know that this converted church in Melbourne is a venue blessed (if that’s the right word) with an ability to put musicians into a closer environment than the usual gig. Like MTV’s Unplugged, the idea is to put performers into more intimate surrounds to trigger a more personal experience. But though there are plenty of comfy chairs to settle into, as well as some acoustic moments, electricity – and energy - isn’t banned here. This second compile of the show confirms just how well all this works, kicking off with Eskimo Joe and rocking out with Wolfmother. In between is a diverse array of acts – Something For Kate, The Veronicas, Augie March, Little Birdy, Bob Evans, Dallas Crane and more. And a number of overseas artists get in on the act – Michael Franti, Noel Gallagher and John Mayer, for example. On CD, that amounts to 17 tracks, mostly limited to one song per act. Better value is the DVD. Not only can you also watch as the same 17 songs are being played, the disc is fleshed out with 11 extra tracks from the same artists. And then it fills the disc out even more with an hour’s worth of interviews with them (all conducted on comfy chairs, of course).

*** (CD)

***½ (DVD)

BILL HOLDSWORTH

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