@ Square Room, Knoxville, September 30
by Andrew Clayman
Published in The Metro Pulse, September 2009
He could easily have devolved into a novelty act by now, prancing around to “Down Under” with a makeshift version of Men At Work. To his credit, though, Colin Hay has chosen (usually) to emphasize his better attributes—specifically his roots as an accomplished singer/songwriter.
As devoted fans have long argued, Men At Work were never merely a product of the world’s fascination with cartoonish Australians and vegemite sandwiches. Hay (who was actually born in Scotland) penned a string of excellent pop songs during his ‘80s heyday, including “Who Can It Be Now,” “Overkill,” “It’s a Mistake,” and “Still Life,” and after Men At Work’s demise, he began a modest but consistent solo career, earning new fans with his clever, often humorous folk-pop narratives.
Hay’s profile has actually increased in recent years, thanks to some quirky and memorable TV cameos—most notably a few featured appearances on the sitcom Scrubs. His latest solo album, American Sunshine, arrived in August to positive reviews, but his current tour still includes plenty of the radio hits of yesteryear, often re-arranged into more intimate and sophisticated packages. As for that reunion with the original Men At Work line-up? Not bloody likely. Former MAW guitarist Ron Strykert was actually arrested earlier this year for supposedly making death threats against Hay. Croiky!
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