REVIEW: Amplified - Brisbane Festival

Amplified: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett

Co-Creator, Writer and Performer: Sheridan Harbridge

Co-Creator, Director & Producer: Sarah Goodes

Co-Creator, Musical Director and Performer: Glenn Moorhouse

Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson and Spencer Herd

Photography: Pia Johnson

Musicians:

Dave Hatch (Drums)

Ben Cripps (Bass)

Clarabell Limonta (Keys)

As soon as Sheridan Harbridge stepped onto the stage in her black, tight leather skirt, low-cut top, and long, diamante-studded dress coat, the audience knew she was an actor and singer capable of capturing the essence of the iconic Chrissy Amphlett.

The band struck up the opening guitar riff of “I’ll Make You Happy” and the audience (mainly made up of those that had lived through the Divinyls period of the 80s/90s) was immediately on board for the journey. It’s a wonder no one has thought to put together such a show before now about such an iconic female Aussie rock performer. Sheridan and co-creator Sarah Goodes took the audience through songs and anecdotes about Chrissy’s life before, during, and after the Divinyls – her defining era in Australian music history.

Sheridan nailed Chrissy’s punk-rock chick persona, pouting and enunciating in the distinctive style that made Chrissy so unique in the 80s male-dominated Aussie rock scene. The interaction with the audience, sometimes as herself and sometimes as Chrissy, made for a genuine connection that the audience bought into and loved. Sheridan described the journey she was presenting as "a galaxy of stories in our collective sky". The metaphor of a crow was used to good effect throughout the performance to highlight various stages of Chrissy's life. Stories were told from the point of view of her bandmates, friends, and even fans of that time.

Sheridan, with her mix of swearing, gesturing, and prowling the stage, convinced those of us who weren’t around during the 80s/90s music era that we were witnessing someone who truly terrified, aroused, and shocked audiences of that time. I believed in the embodiment of this brash artist who could exude both audacious energy and vulnerability, along with subversive humour in her lyrics and performances. There were stories aplenty about legendary gigs performed, taboos broken, and secrets held about what actually went on in that iconic band.

The sad parts of Chrissy’s life – her early abusive childhood, tempestuous relationship with bandmate Mark McEntee, and drug and alcohol use, were handled with sensitivity within the mostly upbeat and raucous telling of her story. As were her later health issues – a diagnosis of MS and then breast cancer - which took her life in her early 50s.

The band – comprising guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums supported Sheridan with ferocious playing and backup with some songs true to the recordings and some given a different arrangement that was no less engaging. They played the iconic intro to "I Touch Myself" multiple times, only to be interrupted by Sheridan delivering another anecdote or engaging with the audience. At one moment, she even ventured into the crowd to retrieve a woman's handbag (a move Chrissy reportedly did at a gig once), emptied its contents on stage, and commented on them – clever and witty!

The lighting enhanced the song performances, showcasing the band and Sheridan in different ways during full band pieces, or by using a single spotlight on her as she sat on a stool for a more introspective song like "Elsie." All the Divinyls bangers were played, including "Pleasure and Pain", "Boys in Town", "Science Fiction" and, naturally, "I Touch Myself" as the grand finale. By the end of the tour de force performance, Sheridan had given her all, and the audience was standing, singing, and applauding.

This story of Chrissy Amphlett was delivered by a seasoned artist who surely knows it’s a fine line between pleasure and pain, and served up for an audience who loved her captivating performance. It would be a shame to leave this show only as part of the Brisbane Festival as I’m sure it would be well received by audiences around Australia if it was ever toured.