Review: Patti Smith at the Sydney Opera House

WHEN highly talented, experienced performers give their absolute all, leaving nothing in the dressing room, and a knowledgeable, emotionally ready audience returns everything, plus interest, you get rare, truly great concerts.

That was the case with Patti Smith at the Sydney Opera House this week, when she interspersed songs from her new album, Twelve, with generous lashings from her extensive back catalogue.

It was the last date on her current Australian tour, following an intense schedule at the 2008 Melbourne International Arts Festival, where she augmented several “normal” concerts with partnering pianist–composer Philip Glass in a dedication to Allen Ginsberg, introducing her new film Dream of Life, and putting on an exhibition of her photographic work and visual installations.

Smith could easily have taken the more laid-back option and still satisfied the punters, but like Mick Jagger — another high achiever born in the mid-40s — she is a consummate performer who obviously believes her fans deserve nothing less than the totality of her voice, body and soul.

Unlike Jagger, though, whose public persona seems virtually apolitical, Smith very much wears her political heart on her sleeve.

Striking her fist skyward in an Obama-or-bust declaration, she dedicates one of her greatest hits, People Have the Power, to the Democratic Senator trying to remove the Republican conservatives from the White House.

And she delivers the power in spades. There’s a power in her voice that few singers — male or female, black or white — have managed to achieve. As comparisons, in strength if not style, folksinger Odetta and that other great Smith, Bessie, come to mind.

For most of the crowd — many have been shouting for it from the beginning — the night’s highlight is Smith’s rendition of Gloria, the song that brought Van Morrison and his group Them to world prominence in the 1960s (Confession: I’d immediately discard any all-time top-10 rock-song listing that didn’t have Gloria near the top).

Others have done great renditions of the song, with Jim Morrison and The Doors certainly providing the sexiest version, and blues legend John Lee Hooker, accompanying Van the Man himself, probably the coolest.

But Patti Smith’s take is the most provocative, right from her opening line ... “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.”

What follows is a cavalcade of machine-gun guitar and drums, singing and strutting that has the audience upright, cheering, clapping, stomping and singing. Quite simply, great rock.

Smith is supported by a very, very good band — the sort of tightly knit unit you’d expect to be backing one of the world’s genuinely iconic performers.

Among them are her son Jackson Smith (guitar), Tony Shanahan (bass, keyboards), and drummer Jay Dee Daugherty who is one of the most accomplished sticks men on the planet.

Lead guitarist Lenny Kaye has collaborated with Smith since the early 1970s and it shows in their mutual trust.

She comfortably leaves the stage in his hands while she moves among the audience to shake hands and dance with them. And do they love that!

Kaye has a fine voice and his guitar work, especially the eloquent acoustic accompaniment to Smith’s quietly emotional delivery of Neil Young’s Helpless, can be sublime.

In recognition of her venue on the night, Patti Smith confessed to having originally wanted to sing opera. I, among I’m sure many, am grateful she took the rockier road.

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