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Music to the Max
Music to the Max
By Kathy McCabe
January 18, 2006
PAUL Mac was still buzzing and audience members still raving days after
the pop guru delivered his infectious and memorable performance on Live
At The Chapel.
Darren Hayes burst into tears backstage after his turn at the intimate
Max Sessions.
And international and local acts are quick to give their permission for
Channel V to film their Big Day Out sets after 10 years of delivering
quality concert footage.
There has never been so much live music on television and you won't be
hearing any complaints from the artists who are lining up for the chance
to present their tunes in a different environment.
Most of the artists who participate in Live At The Chapel, now in its
fourth series, begin the experience in awe at the beauty of the
converted church in Melbourne.
"Being a collapsed Catholic, anything to do with a church and playing
inside one gives me pleasure," Mac says.
"The moment you walk in the door, you know it's going to be good -
there's a million candles, bean bags, stained glass and this quiet
and intimate atmosphere. "And the sound was awesome, the best sound
I have ever experienced on a stage."
The Live At The Chapel session gave Mac, who is renowned for his high
energy, joyous live performances, an unprecedented opportunity to
present his music in a different mode. He relished the chance to
play some of his "quieter" material including Heaven Where You Find It.
"It was great to banter with the crowd between songs, explain my points
of view about the songs and what they are about," he says.
"Often in a concert, I am jumping up and down and clapping my hands
and trying to get people at the back to do the same. This was very
different and it meant some of the softer songs had their moment."
The point of difference with the Max Sessions is fans can also ask the
artist questions and some of them will drive interstate to the tapings
in Sydney and Melbourne to do so.
Max program director Chelsea Anthon says: "Darren Hayes was crying after
his performance; he said it was the most amazing show he had ever done.
"The artists love to do these kind of performances because it is an
environment they can have more control over, as far as the sound and
presentation goes, and there's only 200 people in the audience.
"We get a lot of feedback from our viewers and they all say when they
watch the sessions, they feel like they are in the room with the artist."
As the summer series of Live At The Chapel continues through to the end
of February and the Max Sessions are on repeat, music fans will enjoy
some new live music courtesy of Channel V and the Big Day Out. Their
Big Day In kicks off on February 11, with 48 hours of performances
from the Sydney event and backstage interviews.
