Icehouse - Penrith - October 5 2023

I last saw Icehouse in 2019 when they closed that year's By The C Festival with a brilliant set. I didn’t take any video of their performance which I have long regretted. I did have tickets for their Sydney Opera House forecourt show in 2022 which was unfortunately cancelled after Iva Davies contracted Covid 19. The announcement of this intimate gig at Penrith leagues club was just what I’d been hoping for.

The band sounded great and there was no shortage of hits; a total of 17 songs. I’d lined up six that I wanted to video but then also added a surprise inclusion:

Icehouse (00:14)
Hey Little Girl (04:30)
No Promises (10:05)
Man of Colours (15:55)
Don't Believe Anymore (21:21)
Miss Divine (28:10)
We Can Get Together (32:33)

Sadly, Icehouse appears to be a band stuck in its glorious past. While technically perfect, I felt the performance lacked spontaneity and any sense of excitement on the part of the band. They seemed to be going through a well rehearsed routine. Their setlists rarely change these days. Not surprisingly, the one song which did seem to bring the band alive, “Miss Divine”, was a new addition to their long standing repertoire. Iva appeared genuinely surprised and pleased when the audience started clapping along. The audience, on the other handed, showed plenty of excitement throughout the gig. I doubt there was anyone who didn’t thoroughly enjoy the music, including myself. It’s been 30 years since Icehouse last released a studio album. What would be truly great is if they recorded a new one. It doesn’t have to top those past gloriously days. But some new songs would revitalise, what is after all, one of Australia’s greatest bands.