Richie Sambora Soundwave Perth 3/3/14 & Melbourne 28/2/14 set lists

Richie Sambora finished his Australian tour by playing at Perth's Soundwave Festival, with he and his band dishing up a few surprises.

Perth, WA, Australia - Arena Joondalup - March 3, 2014

1. Paranoid [Black Sabbath cover]
2. Nowadays
3. Burn that Candle Down
4. Lay Your Hands on Me
5. Voodoo Child [Jimi Hendrix Experience cover]
6. Learning How to Fly with a Broken Wing
7. Don't Change [INXS cover]
8. No Surrender [acoustic/Bruce Springsteen cover] / Wanted Dead or Alive
9. Livin' on a Prayer

Being my hometown, not to mention the final Soundwave to be held in Perth (It'll be an "east coast only" festival from 2015) and possibly the only chance I'll ever get to see Richie do a solo gig, I decided to head up to Joondalup. Unfortunately I didn't get the video everyone wants (i.e. Paranoid) -- I think I was too stunned! Plus I was staying for the whole day/night so I needed my phone battery to last.

I had an awesome time and really enjoyed Richie's set, which was like a big jam session, but I've heard mixed reviews from various people that I can certainly understand. I don't think No Surrender was rehearsed -- Richie was mumbling his way through all the words -- and it's only because it's one of my favourite Springsteen songs that I recognised it when it started.

Two friends of mine also saw Richie's set. One thought he was "shit" and "off his f***ing tree". The other described the show as "passionate dirty blues guitar sex" and reckons it was the best version ever of Lay Your Hands on Me and Wanted. All agreed that Orianthi was brilliant. I'd give the performance a 7/10 but I would love to see Richie at one of his own headlining gigs, rather than the lunchtime slot at a festival that's not really his genre.

Meanwhile, this is the set list for Richie's Soundwave gig in Melbourne on February 28, which I'd been looking for:

Melbourne, VIC, Australia - Flemington Racecourse - February 28, 2014

1. Burn That Candle Down
2. Nowadays
3. Lay Your Hands On Me
4. Every Road Leads Home to You
5. Don't Change [INXS cover]
6. Wanted Dead or Alive
7. Voodoo Child [Jimi Hendrix Experience cover]
8. Livin' on a Prayer

Did you catch Richie at any of the Soundwaves in Australia? What did you think of his performance?