Still making Hay.

Last evening I had the pleasure of attending a concert put on by Colin Hay at the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. Hay was the lead singer of the Aussie band Men at Work, who had their finest success back in the 80s.

Since I consider myself an 80s music rube connoisseur, I graciously accepted my brother’s invitation to attend Hay’s acoustic show. While I was not overly familiar with Hay’s work as a solo artist, I must admit that he has done quite nicely on his own. He began the show with a song from his new album “Are You Lookin’ At Me?”. The opening tune was What Would Bob Do, which paid homage to Minnesota rock legend Bob Dylan.

Upon completion of his opening tune, Hay decided to go into a little monologue. As he was about to speak, I anticipated hearing an accent similar to that of Croc hunter Steve Irwin. Instead, it was more like William Wallace. Yes, Hay was actually born in Scotland. His family moved to Australia when he was a teenager. Anyhow, each of Hay’s monologues between songs was worth the price of admission----and I got in for free. While I enjoyed Hay’s acoustic set, he too often relied on the f-word in his soliloquies. That’s not to say he wasn’t somewhat entertaining in the yarns he spun about life in the music biz.

Hay recounted a time a few years back where he had the opportunity to tour with Beatles legend Ringo Starr. While strumming the guitar during a gig, Hay would often become awestruck when turning around and seeing the legendary Starr on the drums. After each show, Hay would hop aboard a private jet with Ringo, eating lobster while relaxing in plush furniture. After completing that tour, Hay ventured back on his own solo expedition. He expressed his dismay at the change in venues. From playing with the legendary Beatles drummer and flying in a leer jet to just a week later fueling up his own mini van near St. Louis.

Alas, I was there for the 80s stuff and I was not disappointed. While I thoroughly enjoyed the acoustic versions of the Men at Work tunes, I’ll always have a special place in my heart for the originals. Even 25 years later, I still recall the lyrics.

Check ‘em out:


Who Can It Be Now?




Down Under




Overkill





Gotta love those 80s!!!!

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