The Domain, Sydney
Saturday January 12, 2019 :
THERE are certain songs that just seem to stick around. Whether you were around to hear them when they first charted, or you’ve grown up listening to them, they have managed to wire their way into your brain at some point in your life. The Pointer Sisters’ ‘I’m So Excited’, Kool and The Gang’s ‘Celebration’, The Jacksons’ ‘Blame It On The Boogie’, Sister Sledge’s ‘We Are Family’, The Supremes’ ‘Baby Love’ and Village People’s ‘Y.M.C.A’ are those kind of songs.
You just know them.
Last weekend, all of those acts – and those songs – appeared at the inaugural Sydney Summer Series held at The Domain. Seven hours of timeless, feel-good music that you can’t help but dance along to – as the crowd boogied into the night, it felt like a stroke of genius.
Warming up the audience – which was already sweltering as the temperature hit the 30s – The Sounds of The Supremes lead singer Kaaren Ragland told the audience she first toured Australia with The Supremes (alongside founding member Mary Wilson) in 1978, joking “I was three years old then.” Ragland didn’t try to mimic original Supremes frontwoman Diana Ross because she didn’t need to – she is a powerful singer in her own right and did justice to each song.
Disco outfit Sister Sledge set the bar high from the moment they came on stage, with original members – and sisters – Debbie and Kim Sledge still in top form. Their energy was infectious and, then and there, the party officially kicked off for the day, with the crowd on its feet dancing along to ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ – which still has one of the best hooks of the disco era – and leading a huge sing along to their classic, ‘We Are Family’.
Village People had their turn next. The group has toured with various incarnations since its rise to fame in the late ’70s. Frontman and founding member Victor Willis has been singing with the band again since 2017, but he’s the only original member these days. At 67, he’s still happy to pull on his cop uniform and put on a show – and, yes, all of the group’s iconic costumes are still part of it. As naff as it might sound to sing along to ‘In The Navy’, Macho Man’, ‘Go West’, ‘Can’t Stop The Music’ and ‘Y.M.C.A’. It was actually great fun.
The Pointer Sisters kept the hits coming with their R&B hit Slow Hand and the 80s pop classics ‘Jump (For My Love)’ and ‘I’m So Excited’. Led by original member Ruth Pointer, they have kept it a family affair with her daughter Issa Pointer and grandaughter Sadako Pointer now performing alongside her.
If The Jacksons hadn’t headlined the event, the audience arguably could have walked away content with Kool and The Gang as the main act. The band’s back catalogue is undeniable – they pioneered with their distinct style of soul, funk and pop in the ’70s and ’80s to create some of the funkiest jams that can still rock a dancefloor anywhere in the world decades later. Founding members Robert “Kool” Bell (bass) and Ronald Bell (Saxophone) have kept the group’s music alive with an incredibly tight 12-piece band (including a five-piece horn section) who casually reminded us all just how many great tracks they produced: ‘Jungle Boogie’, ‘Hollywood Swinging’, ‘Ladies Night’, ‘Get Down On It’ and ‘Celebration’.
The Jacksons’ musical legacy is another that cannot be overlooked. The anticipation for their appearance was evident all day judging by the number of Michael Jackson t-shirts in the crowd – as well as several young kids dressed in fedoras and sequinned jackets a la the King of Pop. Michael’s brothers Jackie, Jermaine, Tito and Marlon reunited seven years ago and have continued to tour the world ever since, playing songs from their days as The Jackson 5 and The Jacksons, as well as tributes to Michael’s solo material.
Their performances are slick – it’s obvious they did the hard yards as youngsters and that professionalism has never worn off. Opening with ‘Can You Feel It’, the brothers reproduced the famous dance sequences that many a fan has attempted to copy over the years (including myself) as they performed hits such as ‘Blame It On The Boogie’ and ‘Dancing Machine’, and a medley of their J5 classics with ‘I Want You Back’, ‘ABC’, ‘The Love You Save’ and ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’. ‘I’ll Be There’ had the crowd singing along with arms waving from side to side and when pictures of Michael as a little kid with his signature afro hairstyle projected onto the big screen behind them, you couldn’t help but feel emotional. They might not share the powerful vocal range of their brother, but seeing The Jacksons celebrate the music live on stage together is something pretty special.
There were a few hiccups for the first-time event, but that’s to be expected. Patrons were met with a long queue upon entry and those who purchased platinum tickets – which promised VIP bars and toilets, as well as express entry – felt the extra cost did not provide the premium experience promised.
Another downside was the heat. Even though The Domain has plenty of shaded areas to retreat from the sun, the area in front of the stage is fully exposed, so it was difficult to watch an entire set in front of the stage without feeling the effects of the heat.
On the flipside, there were minimal lines at the bar and toilets, and there was an excellent variety of food trucks on the site, distanced not too far from the action. Children who attended were catered for with a kids zone under the trees which had free face painting, balloon making, and amusement rides.
If they can bring Nile Rodgers and Chic along next year, count me in.
Reviewer : Jade Lazarevic
Photographer : Kevin Bull
THE JACKSONS
KOOL AND THE GANG
POINTER SISTERS
VILLAGE PEOPLE
SISTER SLEDGE
