When Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper decided to hit the road for a series of tri-state residences this month, ‘M+N’ couldn’t help but go along for the ride. ANDREW MCMILLEN reports on the first leg at Brisbane’s Troubadour on May 13. Photos by JUSTIN EDWARDS.

If there's a defining image to be taken away from tonight's performance, it's of Ed Kuepper mock-punching Chris Bailey in the head. It occurs midway through the set, when the latter meanders off on a tangent for the umpteenth time. The song's finished, but he's strumming the chords over and over while speaking stream-of-consciousness drivel. Kuepper's delayed reaction - first, staring into the middle distance while wearing a bored expression, before nearly following through with the slow-motion punch - is one that most in attendance can relate to by the end of the near two-hour performance.

These men first shared the stage decades ago as members of Brisbane's first proto-punks, The Saints. Kuepper became known for his forceful, urgent guitar playing; Bailey for his sneering, holier-than-thou vocal delivery. After three albums in as many years – stretching from 1976 debut (I'm) Stranded to Eternally Yours and Prehistoric Sounds in 1978 - Kuepper left the band to establish Laughing Clowns, before embarking on a solo career under various guises. Bailey held onto The Saints moniker, opting to use it as a vehicle for his own songwriting, while also releasing solo albums under his own name. Kuepper/Bailey collaborations have been thin on the ground since their falling out, though The Saints’ reformation shows in recent years yielded significant public interest.

Their relationship - as perceived by Australian music media, at least – could be defined more on the level of begrudging respect than an out-and-out feud. Though in this week's local streetpress Time Off, Kuepper vehemently denied any animosity between the two. He downplayed such suggestions as, “Bullshit, and anyone who says otherwise is a fucking liar.” Tonight, it's difficult to take such comments on face value. Bailey regularly directs adulation toward Kuepper, but it's not a two-way street. Maybe he’s playing serious for show, but he seems to regard his partner’s antics with weary disinterest. Given that the men spent their formative years living in each others' pockets, I get the feeling that for Kuepper, it's very much a case of heard-it-all-before.

A few songs in, and Bailey is whinging about the high stools that the two men are perched on. Kuepper waits a few beats, before deadpanning into the microphone, "Stand up, then, you fucking complainer." The crowd howls, and Kuepper lets out a smile. This is one of the few moments where his stony facade cracks; if only for a moment, he hints that their straight man, funny man double act is just that. Bailey's flamboyant eccentricities allow Kuepper to play up his role as the more serious and studious of the two. They both seem to revel in it.

Bailey is, by turns, both crude and contemptuous. He doesn't take kindly to an audience member stating that he's a 50-year old man, and eventually ends a tangential response by calling her a “slag”. He also makes several cracks about Kuepper's sexuality in a manner that's more appropriate for a schoolyard. If there's a filter between his mind and mouth, it's rarely exercised tonight.

On-stage personalities aside, the music they perform tonight is a true mixed bag. Kuepper takes lead guitar on Bailey's material: 'Just Like Fire Would' appears early in the set, while 'Massacre' and 'Gone With The Wind' crop up later. Bailey's voice holds up well in the intimate environment, freed from the high-voltage din that characterised The Saints’ recent reunion shows. Kuepper's highlights include 'Messin' (Part Two)', 'Car Headlights' and 'I'm With You', with Bailey assisting on bass and back-up vocals. Bailey shows his unfamiliarity with one of Kuepper's most-loved tracks, 'The Way I Made You Feel', mistaking the chorus lyrics for “the way you made me feel”, but the song’s writer doesn't seem to notice.

Given Bailey and Kuepper will perform together nine times this month – two more at The Troubadour, as well as three at The Vanguard in Sydney and Bennetts Lane in Melbourne – perhaps they're saving more familiar material for later weeks. Kuepper leads a version of The Kinks' ‘The Last Of The Old Fashioned Steam Powered Trains', while Bailey drives a cover of 'Send In The Clowns'. As far as I can tell, the only Saints material they play isn't from the Kuepper era: 1984's 'Photograph', and 'In The Mirror' from 1981's The Monkey Puzzle.

Their interactions, however, are frequently hilarious - "Some egos never change,” Bailey jibes at one stage, to which Kuepper thoughtfully responds, "That's the first truthful statement to come out of your mouth tonight" – and given they've got two shows to make amends, tonight's capacity crowd seems willing to forgive the odd shortcoming.

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REVIEW: Bailey and Kuepper in Sydney.

REVIEW: Bailey and Kuepper in Melbourne.