Simon and Garfunkel

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel have captured hearts from the first note they ever sung, all the way back in 1957. Reuniting for a rare string of Australasian performances, it was anyone’s guess whether or not the duo still had ‘it’ – at 67, they’re just not as youthful as they once were.

But the faithful who paid up big to see Paul and Art at work were kindly rewarded on the first night of the pair’s three-date Sydney leg; as the Acer Arena lights dimmed, an instrumental version of America played over a slideshow of photos from when the friends met at age 11 right up until the present day, old friends together despite years of differences. When the slideshow stopped on a static image of their two silhouettes, the lights on the stage flashed up – and two voices melted into each other, appropriately to the tune of Old Friends.

It was incredibly affecting to see the two together again, even though it was clear that their many disputes over the years were not completely forgotten. Art still wore his signature black vest, whilst Paul stuck with the suit jacket over long sleeved t-shirt look; they made friendly banter, with Art quipping that the pair was planning to become a trio “with the Chk-Chk-Boom girl”. But all jokes aside, their voices were still startlingly pure despite their ages – of course they are not as airtight as they once were (Art’s high voice slightly wavers now), but the musical chemistry between them has not changed a bit. The hummed harmonies of America were spine-tingling, and the romp-stomping of Cecilia managed to mix that beauty with a sense of fun and, as they say, jubilation, with the help of Paul’s ever-delicate guitar patterns and an incredibly tight band (who also cranked up the jams on tracks like Homeward Bound and Mrs Robinson, creating a palpable groove impossible to ignore).

Both Paul and Art also played their own material in the set, with Paul’s African-inspired Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes proving a crowd favourite and Art’s Bright Eyes dripping with saccharine charm. But it was the songs they sung together that meant the most – a gorgeous stripped-back rendition of Leaves That Are Green opened the final encore, whilst The Sound of Silence, Scarborough Fair and Bridge over Troubled Water had punters too afraid to even breathe for fear of destroying moments of such majesty.

What was particularly memorable about the two and a half hours spent with Simon and Garfunkel was that it was more than just listening to a collection of timeless songs; it felt like we ourselves were reuniting with an old friend after years of separation. Almost half a century after these songs were written, they’re still feeling and sounding as fresh and touching as they were on the first day the world was gifted with them.

Giselle Nguyen

Simon and Garfunkel

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