Icehouse released their debut album the year I was born, so it seems like they’ve always been a part of my life. I’m sure the tracks seeped into my subconscious as they blared from my parents’ radio. We didn’t own an Icehouse album though. While I liked them well enough, I didn’t consider myself a fan until I saw them support Hall & Oates in 2012. They blew the roof off the Sydney Entertainment Centre, outshining the headliners and making me appreciate them in a way I never had before. That’s how good this band is live, even now so many years past their heyday. So I was pretty excited to see Iva and the lads release a new live album to brighten up the horror that is 2020. Celebrating 40 years since the band released their debut album, Icehouse Plays Flowers Live delivers what it says on the tin, and then some.
It’s amazing to think this album was recorded at the St Kilda Music Festival on 9th February 2020. It doesn’t seem like so long ago, but listening to the rapturous crowd captured on this recording made me wistful. The band is so tight and Iva’s voice strong as they deliver those songs that made their first album one of the best debuts in history. Not just the big singles including “We Can Get Together,” “Walls,” and the iconic closer, “Great Southern Land,” but those album tracks that really deserve a spot on live sets. I wasn’t exaggerating when I told you there’s a little more to this live album though. Choice covers of David Bowie’s “The Jean Genie,” T. Rex’s “Get It On,” and Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant,” three songs they used to play as an up-and-coming band, are an absolute joy.
If you’ve experienced Icehouse live, you know what a gift this album is. If you’re yet to have the pleasure, you’ll want to wrap your ears around this to understand what you’ve been missing all these years. Either way, let this album tide you over until gigs of this calibre return.
Images used with permission from Ferris Davies PRM