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Dixie Chicks storm Adelaide
by Jill Pengally for The Advertiser
They
are a formidable force with a mischievous sense of humour.
The Dixie Chicks stormed the stage at the Entertainment
Centre last night to the strains of Hail to the Chief a cheeky reference to the strife they've copped since criticising their
president, George W. Bush.
They're not ready to make nice, not ready to back down and still mad as hell.
Eminently
more than just three cute Texas gals, the Chicks are the biggest-selling female group, of any genre, in history.
That
success has carried them through the tempestuous backlash of the past three years, with American patriots smashing their CDs
and radio stations refusing them airplay.
Last night, they were clearly among friends.
For two hours, to cheers
and ovations, they journeyed through hits, including the fiery Not Ready to Make Nice, which vents their anger at the hate
and condemnation they suffered after lead singer Natalie Maines said she was ashamed the President was a Texan. There was
also plenty of the early stuff, including 1998 title track Wide Open Spaces, from back when they were only famous for their
exceptional talent.
From country pop, to rock, to folk, to bluegrass and ballads and the instrumentals of sisters Emily
Robison and Martie Maguire were superb.
With a tight nine-piece backing band and a barrage of hits, the trio kept the
near-capacity crowd in tow and singing along. They're hard-headed, high-heeled, enormously skilled and more popular than Dubya,
if the ovations are anything to go by.
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