Live Review: Herbie Hancock Rockits in Perth 2024.
22nd of October 2024 at the Perth Concert Hall, Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
The five men grace the stage to a rapturous reception, echoing the historical hall like at the finale of a closing night in Rome. The evening commences with an eclectic fusion of piano, keyboard, guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums, summing the innovation and distinctive sounds manifested over a lifetime. Senses are heightened, spirits are elevated and weaving through a familiar sight and dimension, revisiting places and faces from the past, present, and future. The sonic personification under the legend’s captainship transcends visceral sensations as they reach critical mass, channeling and funneling our minds through enlightenment and spiritual reincarnation to a point of no return.
Welcome to the sold tour of Herbie Hancock.
Born in the second year of World War Two, the musician, bandleader, and composer has been dubbed a living legend since the 60’s when he joined Miles Davies Quintet. His groundbreaking approach to jazz harmony and rhythm is well documented – through musical innovation by blending different genres of jazz, funk, and electronic, Hancock created a series of mind-tingling sounds that has influenced countless artists, with many through collaboration. The 14-time Grammy Award winner (and an Academy Award winner) continuing innovation and distinctive style made him relevant throughout his career. The economic evidence is there; the tour of Australia is practically sold out, including tonight at the Perth Concert Hall.
This writer/photographer is surprised by the demographics; there are plenty of 20-somethings in the crowd, with millennials, Gen X, Y, Z, and all the alphabets, not just the typical baby boomers. The who’s who in the local music scenes are present. Such is the influential reserve across the spectrum by the great Hancock.
The set opens with Overture, showcasing the band’s virtuosity through a series of soundscapes. It’s mind-blowing, to say the least, an out-of-body experience through the sonics, weaved by the dexterous hands of 5 musicians. The intensity increases as the music ride towards the final trajectory, while Herbie Hancock moonlights between the keyboard and the grand piano. We are drawn to the building of layers, through electronic and acoustic sound, and immersed in the dynamic experience through the mellifluous transition between classical and contemporary sounds, before culminating into several crescendos.
The spotlight is not just on Herbie Hancock. The audiences’ focus is given equally, with each member deserves the attention. “How lucky am I…I get to work with these fine musicians every night.” Such is the humility of the legend, with no bravado standing between the audience, band members, and stage. He gives an 8-minute introduction of Terrence Blancard on trumpets, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist James Genus (who he refers to as a genius), and drummer Jaylen Petinaud. At 26, the drummer is young enough to be his “grandson”.
Footprints gets the band’s attention- a cover by the late saxophonist and friend Wayne Shorter. The wonderful interpretation has been performed in the likes of Miles Davis Quintet. The track begins gently with the trumpet, and it evolves into a musical conversation. That’s the beauty of Herbie Hancock’s music – it can also speak to those who are not musical virtuosos, where the live version is more discernible. His style appeals to every person in the hall, where we are immersed in a duality of reality and fantasy.
For those screaming for more bass, Herbie brings the rhythm section to Actual Proof from the 1974 album Thrust. The solo improvisation demonstrates the technical creativity of the band, as each member are thrusted into the limelight with a solo performance. The bassline from Genus has to be one of the richest, with booming sounds reverberating across the floor and straight into our minds. The rich sounds through the pedal shift from the guitarist for a pitch bending sounds pierces across the Perth Concert Hall.
Herbie Hancock also took the vocoder mic, the kind that outputs a synth soundscape. It’s as if we are spoken to by an alien species of higher intelligence – like in the scene of the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind directed by Steven Spielberg. The audience remain silent, hypnotised, and in tranced as if they were indeed spoken by a master alien, thanks to the synthetic sound and pace. “We are one big family”, but he “doesn’t want to go longer than he is supposed to” – a touch of comedy, before continuing with philosophy, “We all come from the same family…is called humanity…but sometimes we don’t want to be responsible…do you remember when we had covid…turning poison into medicine”. Hancock is after all, a practising Buddhist.
The keytar is introduced by Hancock during a medley of Hang Up Your Hang Ups, Rockit, and Spider as electronic funk has truly set the pace before heading to an unbridled party as everyone claps their hand to Chameleon. The face-off begins with keytar and bass. Genus changes tunes to match the supremacy of the keytar. Hancock then moves to the guitarist. The pedal shift is on overdrive, and it’s this moment when the music takes control of Hancock as he jumps for over 60 seconds like an 80’s rocker. The audience is catapulted from their seats and some raise their hands in rock god gestures. The man is 84. As the music draws to a close, he springs onto the highest jump. The only action that’s missing is a stage dive, but we doubt the promoter is keen on the insurance.
Tonight, we were taken on a journey of Herbie Hancock. While the tour focuses on the 84-year-old, our eyes have been all over the stage, as we were drawn to each member with equal attention – which may be a surprise to some. He is after all the captain of one of the most skillful quintets on the planet – the leader who ensures every instrument resonates with the beautiful world of jazz.
“Somebody said jazz is dead.” The audience politely boo’d. “But I think that person who said that, is already dead.”
For the curious and plus 1s – welcome to the world of jazz.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Revolution Per Minute PR, Live Nation Australia, and Herbie Hancock for the media accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: The owner of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to more than 120 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK and Robbie Williams with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. He has interviewed rockers Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 60 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
