Attending a Finn brothers tribute concert guarantees a number of things. Firstly you are going to know all the songs; all killer, no filler. Secondly, your mum is either going to be jealous, or sitting next to you. And finally, you’re going to leave feeling quite patriotic in a Crowded-House-were-pretty-much-Australian kind of way.

With a line up featuring Paul Dempsey, Lior, Clare Bowditch, Alexander Gow and the girls from Seeker, Lover, Keeper, They Will Have Their Way is another in the spate of tribute concerts that have recently come into vogue.

It seems that this generation of Australian singer/songwriters is set on giving props to the bands that have inspired them through these tribute gigs and albums and the Finn brothers more than deserve this recognition and respect.

Covering tracks from the early 70s right through to the late 90s, the music and artists attracted a board demographic from vinyl buffs through to download pirates, however the venue and ticket price meant the majority were 40 plus.

Kicking off with a few softer tracks from the ‘she’s’, the crowd didn’t really warm up until one of the ‘he’s’, Paul Dempsey, strolled on stage to deliver a faithful rendition of ‘Message to My Girl’. This performance was breath taking and when Dempsey left the stage again I realised that I would have come just to hear him perform Finn songs all night.

It was interesting to note that the men were extremely faithful to the original versions of these classics, however the girls experimented wildly with tempo, instruments, lyrics and harmonies.

No one really wants to say it, but it’s pretty obvious that some Finn brothers are more equal than others, and the same could be said of the artists on this bill. The highlight tracks and moments in the set came mostly from the more established muso’s. Bowditch’s determination to encourage crowd participation, Blasko’s eccentric musical adaptations and Dempsey’s energetic performance of ‘I See Red’, all trumped the efforts of the younger artists.

There was never a doubt that They Will Have Their Way would be a great gig and I’m sure the only people who left disappointed were those expecting a tribute to Finnish death metal.

Set List:
Four Seasons in One Day – Seltman
Into Temptation – Lior
Won’t Give In – Lior & Bowditch
Fall at Your Feet – Bowditch, Blasko, Throsby, Seltman
Not the Girl You Think You Are – Throsby
Stuff & Nonsense – Throsby, Gow
I Feel Possessed – Gow & Lior
Message to My Girl – Dempsey
Distant Sun – Dempsey & Blasko
My Mistake – Blasko
One Step Ahead – Seltman
Better Be Home Soon – Bowditch
Pineapple Head – Throsby
Sinner – Blasko, Throsby, Seltman
Unsinkable – Lior
Mean to Me – Lior
Getting Somewhere – Gow
Something So Strong – Bowditch & Gow
Turn & Run – Dempsey & Bowditch
Chocolate Cake – Dempsey
I Hope I Never – Seltman
Don’t Dream It’s Over – All
Dirty Creature – Blasko
I See Red – Dempsey, Gow & Lior
It’s Only Natural – All
Weather With You - All