Astor Theatre, Wednesday June 3, 2026
Over the last twenty-odd years, Michael Paynter has proved himself a stayer in the Aussie music industry. After everything from pop success to Jesus Christ Superstar and touring with the country’s most iconic acts, he is now doing it solo, playing through his version of the great Australian songbook.
Opening the evening was Kalgoorlie country singer Claudia Tripp. Armed with a stomp box and acoustic guitar, she may have been a surprise to the crowd not expecting a support act. Not to worry though, after opening with country-pop original I’m Never Drinking Again, she pulled out a stripped back cover of Dancing Queen and had the audience’s attention. If that wasn’t enough to get people onboard, she got the crowd singing along with another original, nearly everyone obliging with the “rodeo” chorus lyric. Tripp played a mix of originals and covers, a good balance to complement the main act, and she likely gained a few fans in the process.
Onto the main event and the Jesus Christ Superstar himself took to the stage, expressing his honour in having the privilege to travel the country doing what he loves. After opening with a moody, synth-heavy version of I Am Australian, he then kicked straight into the Jimmy Barnes classic Working Class Man on the keys, showing that he’s not only a top-level guitarist (Paynter plays guitar in Barnes’ band), but also more than capable on the ivories.
He then played through an eclectic mix of classics — Paynter’s own version of the Australian songbook. The Dragon-penned, John Farnham-performed Age of Reason was a welcome hit that I’m sure plenty of people in the audience haven’t heard in a long time, as was Icehouse’s Crazy (Paynter is also a member of Icehouse, for fifteen years and counting).
The more recent classics weren’t ignored, with acoustic versions of Straight Lines (Silverchair) and Joker & the Thief (Wolfmother). Paynter really showed off what he could do on guitar, interpreting the rock songs in a stripped back format, and with a seemingly effortless ability to unleash his powerful vocals.
The highlight of the set, and something surely no one saw coming, was when Paynter brought out Alex Lloyd to duet on Lloyd’s 2005 tune Never Meant to Fail. It was a delight to hear the two friends singing together and clearly enjoying it, despite Lloyd’s tongue in cheek complaints about not getting a business class flight over from Sydney.
The mix continued with everything from Even When I’m Sleeping (Leonardo’s Bride) to Playing to Win (Little River Band), and the most recent song of the night – Sia’s Chandelier (possibly the only song in the set the older audience members might not have known). He then brought the night to a close on a high, with the best-known Alex Lloyd song, Amazing — no Lloyd duet for this one, no pressure Michael.
The audience were very appreciative of the show and on their feet demanding more. For the encore, Paynter pulled out Pleasure and Pain (Divinyls), before ending the night with the one and only, universally loved Cold Chisel opus Flame Trees, played with plenty of feeling on the keys.
It’s a marvel to watch a performer capable of moving seamlessly from Farnham and Barnes-esque power to quieter emotional ballad moments. It made for an engaging show, full of both expected and unexpected moments.
Leave a Reply