Stories

Recap: Colin Hay at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (4/10/2024) – By: Rob Smittix

Written by Staff on April 11, 2024

Photos By: Nate Black

JxB Photography

Words By: Rob Smittix

Thursday night (4/10/2024) I (Rob Smittix) attended the Colin Hay concert at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and I’ve got to say, if you weren’t there, you missed out on something very special. Colin Hay is most known for his hit music with his band that formed in Melbourne in 1978, that was the year I was born. Taking a quote from my recent interview with Colin “my old band was only together for four years and those albums did really well.” Read FULL INTERVIEW HERE. They have had a few occasional reunions but Colin Hay has been putting out his own records for decades since the Men at Work days. Colin himself joked on stage that he was probably playing a lot of tunes that no one knows but he said something to the effect of: relax if your here for the Men at Work hits we’ll get there.

It was true there were plenty of songs that I haven’t heard before but like Colin said… I now know these songs. Honestly, the songs I was just being introduced to were fantastically written and certainly stand up to the big hits I grew up with in the 80’s. Gathering Mercury was a song that really stood out to the crowd. Colin told the story of his first Australian friend and drummer Peter who at an early age developed some type of immune system issue and lived most of his life dealing with it. Colin told the story about speaking to Peter about him flatlining twice and coming back. Peter told Colin that there really is a light. This gives us all some encouragement not to worry because perhaps there really is more to life after death.

Colin is an amazing story teller and he also told plenty of jokes in-between songs. After interviewing Coilin and seeing his show, I really get the impression that he’s a humble guy. One of the stories Colin shared was about Paul McCartney coming to one of his gigs. Paul said not to be offended if he had to leave early and Colin replied stay for two songs. Paul ended up staying for the show. Paul later told Colin he wanted to come over to his house. Colin offered dinner and when Paul came by, the punchline to the story was that Paul did Colin’s dishes. On a side note after this tour Colin will be on the road with Ringo Starr again!

To wrap it up, if Colin Hay is coming to your town, get yourself a ticket, this is a show that will forever remain in the memory of your heart!