Paul Kelly Concert TIME

“Time and tide wait for no man,” says the Chaucer quote.

 Paul Kelly has been exploring this theme on his latest album, TIME (2022) and touring a 2-hour concert version.

He has chosen songs from over 30 albums that remember old friends, “in the shadow of time”; celebrate lovers apart, “for whom time moves too slow” and of course “doing time”, perfectly captured in “How to Make Gravy”.

The dedicated fans were out in force in their Paul Kelly t-shirts, toe-tapping along to the opening numbers, “Before Too Long” and “When I First Met your Ma”, which Kelly introduced as a love song from a father to his son.

Taking time to acknowledge the musicians he’s collaborated with – The Pigram Brothers (Time and Tide), Kev Carmody (From Little Things Big Things Grow) and many of his band members, past and present, Kelly and his 5-piece band were clearly enjoying their time performing.

Back-up singer, Jess Hitchcock, had clear, melodic harmonies, which were a perfect fit with Kelly’s deeper tone, appreciated with timely applause from the Concert Hall crowd.

Kelly told of the encouragement he received from Paul Hewson, songwriter for the band, Dragon (April Sun in Cuba, Are You Old Enough?), while they were sharing a house in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney.

Hewson really liked Kelly’s early song writing attempt, “Going About my Father’s Business”, which ended up on the 1986 album Gossip, not long after Hewson’s untimely death.

Australia’s favourite troubadour has managed to keep touring and keep his play list fresh by adapting poems (“Thirteen Ways to Look at Birds”, 2019, The Magpies by Denis Glover); reinterpreting Shakespeare (“Sonnet 60” set to music and quotes from Richard II in “I Wasted Time”).

Kelly’s lyrics paid tribute to Western Australia (Deeper Water); reminded us of our body clocks ticking (Love Never Runs on Time); the shifting sands of time (Cities of Texas) and nostalgic time travel of an old memory (Winter Coat).

The more well-known radio hits like “To Her Door” had couples holding hands and nudging their heads together, videoing the songs that clearly have major importance in their lives.

A standing ovation called Kelly back for a heartfelt encore of “Young Lovers” (co-written with Paul Grabowsky), which was sweet, sour, and cynical all at the same time.

“Leaps and Bounds” (also from the album Gossip) and one of Paul Kelly’s personal favourites, a track from the John Cale album Fear brought the evening to an end, but kept the crowd wanting more.

Paul Kelly takes TIME to the Goldfield Arts Centre, Kalgoorlie, Thursday 29 February – SOLD OUT

Tracks featured in this concert are available on the album TIME.

Jane Keehn

Photographer: Sophie Minissale