Jade Hurley – a performance to remember

REVIEW: Jade Hurley

Venue: Twin Towns Services Club

Date: September 19, 2017

By Shirley Broun

JUST couldn’t resist the opportunity to see one of Australia’s most enduring and loved rock’n’rollers in action at Twin Towns Services Club in Tweed Heads recently.

Jade Hurley

When the music kicked off and the lights focused on a white piano sitting centre stage I, and a full auditorium of dedicated fans, were poised and ready for the man who had set the piano keys alight with his sizzling renditions of some of the all-time rock’n’roll greats.

The build-up tempted the imagination as the lead track of his most recent album `I Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore’ saw him explode onto stage (fully clothed) and complete his rendition to the roar of a highly appreciative crowd.

Then the hits just started to roll out one after another – Personality, Blueberry Hill, Whole World in My Hands and such is the drawing power of this enigmatic character his performance drew widespread participation by a mesmerised, toe-tapping and hand clapping audience.

His signature move of raising his leg onto the piano keyboard as he played and sang … raised the roof particularly when he announced `I can still get it up’ and at 74 that’s no mean feat!

It was about at this point when he took a rare break to take a sip of his brandy and green ginger wine (which is standard practice during his performances to keep his voice at its rocking best) and shared the woes of his journey from Sydney to the Gold Coast which involved a hapless incident with his motorhome at Kempsey.

Long story short, he left the motorhome to be repaired in Kempsey and headed off for his appearance at Twin Towns in a hire vehicle, only to discover he had left his boots behind and had to go back.

Back at the piano and Jade was in his element, churning out hit after hit from the good old days of rock’n’roll – Buddy Holly’s `Boy’, Roy Orbison’s `Leah’ and familiar favourites from the man he credits with teaching him how to walk and talk on stage, the great Johnny O’Keefe.

Celebrating his latest album `Jade Hurley Naked’ just going `Gold’ spurred on even more crowd pleasing classics played, this time, on the Banjo followed by an exquisite performance of Chariots of Fire back on the keyboard.

The hits kept on coming proving not only Jade’s versatility but also his amazing stamina and strength to keep delivering an up-tempo, vibrant performance on stage that continued non-stop for more than 90 minutes and ended with a Full House standing ovation … not once, but twice!

It was a performance to be remembered for a long time to come!

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