WHITE WINE IN THE SUN

I’ve always been a Tim Minchin fan but from a distance. I’ve enjoyed his Catholic Church satire. I’ve loved the energy of the stage productin and the film of Matilda the Musical. And the lyrics of White Wine in the Sun make it a brilliant Australian Christmas anthem. But I’ve never seen him perform live. As part of his Songs the World will never hear tour he came back to his home town and performed in the Perth High Performance Centre. It’s a sports venue but the name fits really well with the high energy that Minchin bought to the stage over nearly three hours. The tour celebrates the moment, twenty years ago, when his career took off – from the tiny Butterfly Club in Melbourne to the West End and Broadway.

I’ve always been impressed with his piano playing, his song writing and his singing but I haven’t heard him speak before. He’s erudite, can riff on everything from philosophy to science. He talks fast, without a script, in witty ways and had a lovely interaction with a 12 year old, Ayla, in the audience.

I got to hear my favourite song about drinking white wine in the sun and I discovered a beautiful ballad about not having sex/choosing ‘lonely tonight’. There was also a new song, Peace, which grew on me. Some songs I cringe at, albeit in a rueful way, such as the love growing on you song (where he did a brilliant riff on the different meanings of 'mole') and the boobs song. But that’s just me and my taste.

He performed with great heart along with an impressive band of talented musicians and it was a an utterly entertaining night. At the beginning, he’d sung a song about turning phones (‘fucking phones’) off and being in the moment and someone told me off when I sneaked my camera out to take a photo but I did want a momento of the show. He allowed us to turn our phones back on at the end for a light show to match the video from the Butterfly Club in Melbourne 20 years ago when he had short curly hair and didn’t wear eyeliner.



The only tiresome part of the night was waiting to get out of the carpark which took just as long as the drive home.

If you ever get a chance to see Tim Minchen live, I can highly recommend it.

White Wine in the Sun
[Verse 1]
I really like Christmas
It's sentimental, I know, but I just really like it
I am hardly religious
I'd rather break bread with Dawkins than Desmond Tutu, to be honest
And yes, I have all of the usual objections
To consumerism, to the commercialisation of an ancient religion
To the westernisation of a dead Palestinian
Press-ganged into selling PlayStations and beer
But I still really like it
I'm looking forward to Christmas
Though I'm not expecting a visit from Jesus
 
[Chorus]
I'll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun
I'll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun
 
[Verse 2]
I don't go in for ancient wisdom
I don't believe just 'cause ideas are tenacious, it means that they're worthy
I get freaked out by churches
Some of the hymns that they sing have nice chords, but the lyrics are dodgy
And yes, I have all of the usual objections
To the miseducation of children who, in tax-exempt institutions
Are taught to externalise blame and to feel ashamed
And to judge things as plain right or wrong
But I quite like the songs
I'm not expecting big presents
The old combination of socks, jocks and chocolates is just fine by me
 
[Chorus]
'Cause I'll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun
I'll be seeing my dad
My brother and sisters, my gran and my mum
They'll be drinking white wine in the sun
 
[Verse 3]
And you, my baby girl
My jetlagged infant daughter
You'll be handed 'round the room like a puppy at a primary school
And you won't understand, but you will learn someday
That wherever you are and whatever you face
These are the people who'll make you feel safe in this world
My sweet blue-eyed girl
And if, my baby girl, when you're twenty-one or thirty-one
And Christmas comes around
And you find yourself nine thousand miles from home
You'll know what ever comes
 
[Chorus]
Your brothers and sisters and me and your mum
Will be waiting for you in the sun
Whenever you come
Your brothers and sisters, your aunts and your uncles
Your grandparents, cousins and me and your mum
We'll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Darling, when Christmas comes
We'll be waiting for you in the sun
Drinking white wine in the sun
Waiting for you in the sun
Waiting for you
Waiting
 
 
[Outro]
I really like Christmas
It's sentimental, I know

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