Last night at N.S.W. University's Roundhouse, Manfred Mann's Earthband played probably the best concert of their tour.  
The concert was completely free of hassles (not like most of the other ones) and ran very smootlhly.
Lobby Loyde's new band Coloured Balls opened the concert, and played quite a good set.  Lobby certainly carries the very young band and his guitar playing has never been better.
Friends followed the Coloured Balls, they are now resident in Sydney, and since living in Sydney they have built up a large following which was obvious by the audiences reaction.  Friends set was particularly good, and was highlighted by the powerful drumming of Mark Kennedy and Charlie Tamahai.
After a short break, Manfred Mann's Earthband appeared and from their first number, which guitarist Mick Rogers described as a warm up song, they had the whole audience rocking.  The Earthband's sound was  close to perfect and it is a really exciting, driving and gutsy sound.  They played Chain's 'Black & Blue' next which has an extended middle section to it, through which Manfred doubles on synthesizer and organ.  A strong and noticeable feature of Earthband's music is the way Mick Rogers and Manfred play so closely together.  Mick plays a riff and Manfred follows it and most of the instrumental passages are based around the guitar and organ inter-soloing.  Mick's guitar playing is better than ever (although he was pretty incredible with Bulldog, he has progressed even further since joining Earthband), his solos are fluent and tasteful as well as being dynamic.
I have seen the Earthband on three occasions now, and it has taken me that long to get into their music.  Some people have criticised the band, by saying their music is superficial and based around effects; I don't believe this, the Earthband's music has a definite feel to it, their songs are well arranged and based around dynamics.  Manfred's electronic devices are used properly and not overdone.  The whole point behind the synthesizer and the use of prerecorded vocal-choir tapes is to give the music more exactment and a mysterious type of effect, a whole concept effect.
Following 'Black & Blue' was Gerry Hahn's 'Captain Bobby Stout' which was arranged brilliantly, mainly centered around Mick's voice and his unusual phrasing of lines.  The middle section features a prerecorded tape of female choral voices fading in and out.
The band finally finished their hour long set with Manfred's old hit from 1967 (when "he used to be a pop star") 'Mighty Quinn', which has been re-arranged to suit the new band.  The audience reaction was excellent, and many people sat stunned after Earthband had finished. 
Finally, I Think the Earthband are one of the best to come out to Australia and it's a pity their tour was so badly rushed and organised.

Roger Davies.