LIVE REVIEW: MOOD LIFTERS – A TRIBUTE TO RUSH at MAX WATTS, MELBOURNE. 24 AUGUST 2024
by DAN MCKAY
GEDDY Lee once called Rush the biggest cult band in the world. There’s a good argument to suggest he’s right about that. Decades of international tours, millions of records sold, and a list of classic songs stretching longer than the double necks on his Rickenbacker. And yet most folks could struggle to actually name a song. But this was not the case at Max Watts in Melbourne on a cold Saturday night. They came to listen, to sing along, and air guitar/bass/drum and moog [is air Mooging a thing?!] to every note that Californian Rush tribute band Mood Lifters graced (under pressure) the stage with. I never saw Rush – given they never toured Australia this is not such a weird thing. I’ve spent my adult life hanging on the words of fellow Rush obsessives who travelled the world for the purpose of seeing them live, in some cases many times over. Now why didn’t I think of that? Needless to say I leapt at the chance to see Mood Lifters and they did not disappoint.
Starting with the one, two, THREE punch of “Spirit of Radio/Subdivisions/Anthem” they had the crowd eating out of their hands from the moment guitarist Ben King expertly struck the instantly identifiable Alex Lifeson flourishes . Playing two [that’s TWO!] 90 minute sets of some the most loved songs from the Rush catalogue seems daunting, but Mood Lifters were more than up for it. There was a lot of curiosity in the room, and plenty who were not there simply as casual observers enjoying a night out. They came, they saw and they brought their encyclopedic knowledge of the ultimate Canadian virtuosic prog rock troupe with them.
With a solid pedigree behind them, Mood Lifters were ready for the challenge. As if they hadn’t already, the band signalled this with their rendition of “Cygnus Book II” from Hemispheres before closing the set out (‘It’s just a short break, I promise!’ singer Rocky Kuner reassured us) with some 80s bangers, ending with a heartfelt interpretation of “Distant Early Warning”. The room was buzzing during the interval, with excited chatter giving way to an eruption of applause when the ensemble returned for their second set.
In a gig full of highlights, the performance of Moving Pictures in full was absolutely lapped up by the throng of 20-to-who-knows-how-old crowd worshipping at the altar of Rush. From “Tom Sawyer” through to the ‘Police curious’ guitar parts of “Vital Signs”, Mood Lifters showed they are not just paying tribute, but bringing their deeply artistic, respectful personal interpretation to the live flow of a living, breathing reading of the ‘songbook’ that accompanied the youth – or otherwise! – of the assembled.
Rocky nails Geddy’s signature falsetto down into the dirtier, slightly gritty range of the register. Isamu Kakitani pulled out a bass tone of bite, punch and clarity in addition to working the pedals and the keys – probably fair that the band had two Geddy Lees; many would need three.
I wasn’t alone in wondering whether drummer Matt Miranda was going to fill out “YYZ” with a drum solo as per Exit…Stage Left – perhaps a mark of respect to Neil Peart that he didn’t.
Before ‘ending’ with “Freewill”, Rocky pretty much promised an encore. Resulting in the audience practically demanding their return for two more songs, Rocky, Ben, Isamu and Matt performed as if they’d just begun what was a mammoth three hour performance. As the last notes of “Working Man” faded out, the very slowly thinning out crowd dissected the setlist and reminisced of their favourite Rush memories, chatting amongst strangers as though they were long awaited friends…
