Review: The Chicks @ Qudos Bank Arena
Review by Natasha Christian & photos by Valerie Lee.
Ed’s note: While I reviewed the Sydney show, Valerie’s photos are from the Melbourne show.
Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena transformed into a country haven to extend a warm ol’ Southern Hemisphere welcome to The Chicks.
Excited fans dusted off their cowboy hats - some which glowed in the dark - pairing them with boots, fringe jackets, and washed denim.
I watched girl squads and mother-daughter duos rush to grab their chardonnays in very Kath and Kim-like ways.
Despite their very large and dedicated fanbase, The Chicks thrive as the outsiders of country music. Every time they’re hit with controversy or backlash, they hit back harder.
When Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire were last in town in 2017, they were still known as Dixie Chicks. After the killing of George Floyd in police custody in 2020, the band made the call to drop “Dixie” - a term associated with slavery and the Confederate-era South. The change was confirmed with the release of March, March, The Chicks hard-hitting punch in the fight against social injustice.
Way back in 2003, before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Maines expressed opposition to the military action and her shame at then-President George W. Bush. In response, The Chicks were blacklisted, removed from country radio, faced protests, destruction of their CDs, and received death threats. Not ones to be silenced, the band released Not Ready To Make Nice - a ferocious comeback that would go on to become one of their biggest hits.
The Sydney show began with a powerful Welcome to Country by Michael West, who explained the significance of the Ibis as a totem and shared insights into local landmarks. I was disappointed that the arena kept the lights up while West was speaking and didn’t make more of an effort to make the WTC feel part of the night.
American country singer Elle King took the stage dressed entirely in black and red - like a rock 'n' roll queen of hearts.
It took a few songs for King to win over the crowd, but mega-hit Ex's & Ohs did the trick. King’s band, sporting matching cowboy hats, showcased some impressive country twang, particularly the keys and guitar during America's Sweetheart and Bonafide. King also flexed her musical versatility by switching instruments multiple times during the set. It felt a bit jarring to hear party song Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home) right after Lucky, after learning the song was named after her young son. But the crowd didn’t seem to mind.
I’d never seen a band make their warm-up playlist part of the spectacle before I saw The Chicks.
The band paid tribute to the female powerhouses of the music industry from Joan Jett to Blondie. When Stevie Nicks' Edge of Seventeen played, it felt like the crowd was transported to one of her concerts. Linda Perry’s 4 Non-Blondes hit What’s Up? had the entire arena screaming at the top of their lungs “What’s going on?” It was pretty special.
The unmistakable sound of Maguire’s fiddle filled the arena, kicking off a medley of The Chicks’ biggest hits.
The show started with Gaslighter, an obvious choice given the gasmask banner that covered the stage. All three women were dressed in black and I wondered if it symbolised mourning - considering the hardships and loss each has faced in recent years.
The tone quickly shifted to fun fan favourite Sin Wagon, and we started to meet the 9-piece band, including Maine's son Slade on guitar. There were so many instruments on stage - banjo, slide guitar, cello, fiddle, mandolin, a massive drum kit - yet it never felt overcrowded or overdone. Some of the more impressive arrangements included Maines' showing off her vocals during a stripped-back version of Julianna Calm Down, supported only by a subtle bassline. For My Best Friend's Wedding, a song inspired by Maines’ divorce, the sound of The Chicks’ beautiful triumphant harmonies filled the arena.
The 22-song set included quite a few covers. Travelin' Soldier (originally by Bruce Robison) offered some impressive guitar work and a fitting marching drum ending from the wild-haired Jimmy Paxson. Landslide will always be a Stevie Nicks song, but The Chicks version was so convincing there were times I forgot it was a cover.
They also delved into Beyonce’s Daddy Lessons from Lemonade - a great choice for Maine’s voice - the band’s countrified version suited the song perfectly. During the song, it was hard not to think about how similar The Chicks are to Destiny’s Child.
New song Tights on My Boat saw the band play around with their modern sound - although if I didn’t know this was a Chicks song I would’ve thought it was P!nk.
While most of the covers hit home, I thought two fell a bit flat - Miley Cyrus' LGBTQ anthem Rainbowland, and Patty Griffin's Don't Let Me Die In Florida.
For act two, the stage turned into a campfire-like setting, which allowed us to see more of the supporting band members and appreciate the diverse array of instruments. A sadder moment was Cowboy Take Me Away, a song written about Strayer’s romance with ex-husband Charlie Robison, who died a few weeks ago from cardiac arrest.
March, March combined with For Her sounded great, but combined with the heavy social justice messaging in the backing visuals, it started to feel a bit overdone and lose its power.
White Trash Wedding was a welcome light-hearted break from the politics, ending with a cheeky “Yeehaw” from Maines - perfectly summing up the mood.
The Chicks left us with Not Ready To Make Nice, making it clear that they won’t be shying away anytime soon.
The show wrapped with another fan favourite, the ultra-fun/violent murder ballad Goodbye Earl. While it’s a clear hit with the crowd, it felt a bit odd ending with a song about murder with all the social justice messaging we’d just heard.
Nevertheless, The Chicks delivered something special in Sydney and left us with plenty to think about.
The Chicks are touring Australia and New Zealand in October thanks to Frontier Touring.