Casually walking onstage with minimal fanfare or hype, the artist we know and love as Yusuf/Cat Stevens had a perfect combination of clear skies, adoring fans, and the pristine surrounds of our beloved Botanic Park to set the mood for his 50th Anniversary concert.
Kicking off with the sombre and thought provoking Where Do the Children Play?, Stevens was in fine voice for man almost 70, and delivered not so much a performance, but a wonderful sharing of his journey through the years conveyed through his music and storytelling.
Performing songs from his latest album The Laughing Apple in between his classic hits such as The First Cut Is The Deepest, Sad Lisa, and a funky Reggae version of (RememberThe Days) Of The Old School Yard, Stevens took an unusually long break after playing for only 45 minutes, but returned with energy to burn, delivering remainder of his impressive string of hits. Set on a stage that initially resembled London’s West End Station, the set had changed to an attic, where Stevens took us in to share some of his past. He spoke of his admiration for The Beatles and referenced them several times throughout the performance, even to the point of performing a few of their songs like From Me To You, and Here Comes The Sun. His anecdotes of how his songs came to be, his career highs and lows, along with his well publicised faith journey, were all told candidly and with a genuine honesty that really connected with people. There was nothing political about his message, just one of a genuine desire to promote peace and harmony.
There was always something tranquil and earthy about Cat Stevens’ songs, that raw folk edge combined with deep, engaging lyrics, and the voice of a soul yearning for a higher connection. You can’t possibly listen to songs like Morning Has Broken, Oh Very Young, and the gorgeous Father and Son without feeling them in the depths of one’s own soul. Steven’s music has that quality to it, the freedom from pretence and vanity that accompanies so much modern music today.
Wishing “Peace to Adelaide”, Stevens finished his set with none other than Peace Train, left the stage to a thunderous ovation, but was beckoned back for a finale which included Another Saturday Night, I Can’t Keep It In, and once again paying homage to The Beatles, finally singing All You Need Is Love.
And that folks, was his life’s message summed up in the words of Lennon/McCartney!
In a world that is often ugly, All You need Is Love, so get on the Peace Train!
Dazz Hassan.
All Images: Ben Heide.
Photographer: Ben Heide
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