Colin Hay’s name may be most synonymous with Australia after his iconic song “Down Under” with Men at Work. Yet, although Hay emigrated to Australia when he was 14, he was actually born in Scotland before moving to Los Angeles later in his life. Nonetheless, Hay is clearly at home in Australia, as was evident by the rousing reception he received as he stepped out onto the Enmore Theatre stage for a sold-out show. 

With a thick Scottish accent, Hay greeted the crowd by saying how much he loved playing in Australia. Hay’s voice is still pristine, soaring in the upper register as he launched into a setlist filled with covers, solo hits and Men at Work hits. His cover of Burt Bacharach’s “I Just Don’t Know What to Do With Myself” was an early highlight, with Hay’s voice scything through the noise of the excited crowd. 

When Hay wasn’t singing his jam-packed setlist (the concert spanned over 2 hours and featured approximately 20 songs), he was entertaining the audience with jokes and side quips about his travels and journeys. He could almost fill an entire set with just stories but in this gig, they provided the perfect interlude for his wonderful music. 

It became apparent throughout the set just how precise Hay and his band are with their music. Every song was played immaculately, with not a note out of place and with metronomic rigour. It is a true pleasure to listen to music played this well. 

Hay did a fine job of sustaining energy throughout the show by interspersing covers through his solo and Men at Work material. His version of The Kinks’ “Waterloo Sunset” was whimsical and a nice change of pace from his original works. His setlist was carefully curated and although, perhaps too long and dragging sometimes, allowed Hay some respite so that he could prepare for some of the more vocally demanding songs. His incredible sustained high notes at the end of “Down by the Sea” was exquisite. 

There were also some tender moments in the setlist, such as when Hay performed “Goodnight Romeo” ode to his father, who died in Melbourne when he was in Glasgow. It was a poignant and powerful moment felt by all in the crowd. 

Hay saved his biggest hits for the final moments of the show with “Overkill”, complete with a saxophone solo and “Down Under” for which all of the audience had their phones out. They were both performed extremely well, with Hay restraining the first parts of the songs before letting go towards the end, much to the delight of the crowd. 

This was a performance where the crowd had high expectations and they were certainly left fulfilled. Hay is the consummate professional and delivered a set that featured all his hits and had him in fine voice throughout. While the set was perhaps a touch too long (finishing after 11pm), it featured superb and diverse musicianship through a wide range of genres. Hay’s fans will hope that he returns to Australia soon as this was a performance few could match. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Colin Hay – Enmore Theatre – 5^th July 2024

All photo credits: Mark Stevens for Music Kingdom Australia