No matter how many – or how few – gigs you see in a life, very few of them will move you to tears. At The Orphans’ show in Parramatta last Saturday night, the 22nd of March, I cried twice, in two different songs. Both songs were about grief, so there was a natural sniffle-inducing narrative framework, but that wasn’t the reason – it was the way the songs were played and sung.
I often think it’s the test of a songwriter’s mettle to have songs played acoustically – there’s really nowhere to hide when it’s just a guitar and a voice. On that measure, Lyn Taylor and Nick Payne of The Orphans have plenty to be proud of. These are simple songs – there are no fancy time signatures or key changes. Perhaps both songwriters know that it’s best to leave strong emotions and words unadorned, so the listener can appreciate them better. It certainly worked for me and everyone else in the audience.
At the first show for the Orphanage Sessions, in February, The Orphans were joined by pedal steel virtuoso Mike Kirkley. Clearly they’d all been rehearsing together since, for Kirkley was a seamless addition to the set for this show and really enhanced the whole experience. Ultimately, though, what made this show special was the band’s connection to their songs and to the audience. The setting made that possible – the space at the Mars Hills Café is ideal for an acoustic gig – but it also seemed as though the band members wanted to sing straight to their audience, and that meant we were all involved in making it a good show.
At one point in the night Nick said that The Orphans have paid their dues in dingy pubs across Sydney, playing to one drunk old man in the back bar or something like that. Now that they have a better venue they also deserve a bigger audience, so make sure you get along to the next show in the Orphanage Sessions (these shows are a great initiative on the part of the band and the venue). As my band buddy said on the night, ‘I don’t like many country gigs, but I REALLY liked that one.’
The Orphanage Sessions are on for the next handful of months. Details at
http://www.theorphans.com.au/theorphanage/default.aspx
or
http://www.myspace.com/theorphansau
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Caitlin Harnett at the Orphanage
The Orphanage Sessions kicked off on Saturday 23 February with a simply stunning set by Caitlin Harnett. Caitlin is 17 years old and hails from Richmond, on the northern outskirts of Sydney. It is worth mentioning her age only because it's almost impossible to believe that she hasn't been alive longer than that - her songwriting and live skills would put many older singer-songwriters to shame.
Caitlin's set was a mixture of original songs - several of which can be heard on her website and MySpace page - and nicely chosen covers; there was a gorgeous version of Patty Griffin's 'Oh Heavenly Day'. She's a quietly confident performer - not showy, but already relaxed enough to get the audience laughing when she chats in between songs. She's a star in the making, of the Kasey Chambers order.
The venue - upstairs at the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta - was an excellent setting for the songs: cosy, with tables and chairs and couches, coffee and food at hand and no real time pressures. Caitlin's set came first and then The Orphans got up. Although I couldn't stay for much of their set, I saw enough to know I'll definitely hang around for the rest of it next time.
Caitlin's set was a mixture of original songs - several of which can be heard on her website and MySpace page - and nicely chosen covers; there was a gorgeous version of Patty Griffin's 'Oh Heavenly Day'. She's a quietly confident performer - not showy, but already relaxed enough to get the audience laughing when she chats in between songs. She's a star in the making, of the Kasey Chambers order.
The venue - upstairs at the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta - was an excellent setting for the songs: cosy, with tables and chairs and couches, coffee and food at hand and no real time pressures. Caitlin's set came first and then The Orphans got up. Although I couldn't stay for much of their set, I saw enough to know I'll definitely hang around for the rest of it next time.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Madviolet: not really country, but country enough
A few weeks ago I attended a cosy little gig at the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Folk Club. The drawcard was Madviolet, a duo from the Maritime Provinces of Canada who have produced two albums (Worry the Jury and Caravan) of folk-type music with a chaser of country. Lisa MacIsaac plays fiddle and acoustic guitar, Brenley MacEachern sticks to the guitar, and both sing. And oh what a treat it was - so much so that I bought both their albums and drove to Canberra to see them last weekend, converting two friends in the process (they swooned at the live performance, then bought CDs).
Madviolet have been touring Australia since the new year, playing at the odd festival. For some reason Hornsby was their only Sydney gig, and that's a shame for Sydneysiders, because those who weren't there missed out on delicate, beautifully balanced playing, good on-stage repartee, wonderful musicianship and joy. These two gals clearly love what they do. I can't even really describe how their sound works, because they can play their instruments so gently that it sounds like the guitars are whispering, yet Lisa really gets stuck into the fiddle in an old-fashioned Cape Breton shindig way. They're also no slouches in the singing department - their harmonies work a treat, and they have lovely clear, strong voices.
So if you're in Melbourne or the south coast of NSW in the next week or so, go and see them. If you're in the Blue Mountains, they're doing a little house concert this Thursday, the 21st of February. If you're not able to see them this time around, cross your fingers for a return visit. I don't know why they didn't play at Tamworth, since they were in the country at the time, but they should be invited for next year. Please!
http://www.myspace.com/madvioletmusic
Madviolet have been touring Australia since the new year, playing at the odd festival. For some reason Hornsby was their only Sydney gig, and that's a shame for Sydneysiders, because those who weren't there missed out on delicate, beautifully balanced playing, good on-stage repartee, wonderful musicianship and joy. These two gals clearly love what they do. I can't even really describe how their sound works, because they can play their instruments so gently that it sounds like the guitars are whispering, yet Lisa really gets stuck into the fiddle in an old-fashioned Cape Breton shindig way. They're also no slouches in the singing department - their harmonies work a treat, and they have lovely clear, strong voices.
So if you're in Melbourne or the south coast of NSW in the next week or so, go and see them. If you're in the Blue Mountains, they're doing a little house concert this Thursday, the 21st of February. If you're not able to see them this time around, cross your fingers for a return visit. I don't know why they didn't play at Tamworth, since they were in the country at the time, but they should be invited for next year. Please!
http://www.myspace.com/madvioletmusic
Monday, February 18, 2008
Sydneysiders, take heed: The Orphanage Sessions are coming!
While in Tamworth I was given a postcard-sized flyer for something called The Orphanage Sessions, a new series of gigs organised by Sydney duo The Orphans, to take place at the Mars Hill Cafe in Parramatta, aiming to showcase the talents of country/roots musicians (including them!). It's a great line-up and any Sydney country/roots/folk fan worth their salt should get along, because the featured musos include Caitlin Harnett, Dave Walls and the inimitable Karl Broadie. The list of dates is:
23/02 Caitlin Harnett
22/03 Sam Hawksley
26/04 Jessica Belle
24/05 Dave Walls
28/06 Karl Broadie
Sounds like a civilised evening - punters can sit at tables and order food and beverages, and the nana within me loves the sound of that. So hopefully I'll see you there ...
http://www.theorphans.com.au/theorphanage/
23/02 Caitlin Harnett
22/03 Sam Hawksley
26/04 Jessica Belle
24/05 Dave Walls
28/06 Karl Broadie
Sounds like a civilised evening - punters can sit at tables and order food and beverages, and the nana within me loves the sound of that. So hopefully I'll see you there ...
http://www.theorphans.com.au/theorphanage/
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Tamworth report: Up-and-comers
Country music – Australian country music, at least - is unique in the amount of opportunities it affords young people to get a musical education and get some experience playing live. The Starmaker and Telstra Road to Tamworth competitions are loaded with talented under-25s, some of whom I was lucky to see play at this year’s festival. Here’s a short round-up:
Caitlin Harnett: The buzz is big for this Sydneysider, who has attended Camerata, the Country Music School. Although she had a cold the day I saw her and wasn’t feeling her best, her lovely voice and engaging stage manner were still evident. She was playing with …
Olivia Hally: I was impressed with this Victorian’s singing and guitar playing (she's also a Camerata graduate). She had a nicely different take on some country standards, including ‘Jolene’.
Adam James: This Starmaker finalist launched his CD, Messages & Memories, at the Tamworth Hotel. He’s in the Troy Cassar-Daley songwriting vein, which is good – anyone who emulates Troy is good!
Claye Middleton: A quiet performer with a lovely singing voice – great pitch and timbre. I expect to see him back for many years to come.
Chad Shuttleworth: Caught him busking outside Tamworth Shopping World, and his cheeky charm had attracted quite a crowd. He was definitely in the ‘entertainer’ branch of the country music family (where Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey are ‘entertainers’, and Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley are ‘singer-songwriters’ – this is a loose division of my own creation, and subsets do occur). I would have paid money to see him, so I put some in his guitar case.
Caitlin Harnett: The buzz is big for this Sydneysider, who has attended Camerata, the Country Music School. Although she had a cold the day I saw her and wasn’t feeling her best, her lovely voice and engaging stage manner were still evident. She was playing with …
Olivia Hally: I was impressed with this Victorian’s singing and guitar playing (she's also a Camerata graduate). She had a nicely different take on some country standards, including ‘Jolene’.
Adam James: This Starmaker finalist launched his CD, Messages & Memories, at the Tamworth Hotel. He’s in the Troy Cassar-Daley songwriting vein, which is good – anyone who emulates Troy is good!
Claye Middleton: A quiet performer with a lovely singing voice – great pitch and timbre. I expect to see him back for many years to come.
Chad Shuttleworth: Caught him busking outside Tamworth Shopping World, and his cheeky charm had attracted quite a crowd. He was definitely in the ‘entertainer’ branch of the country music family (where Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey are ‘entertainers’, and Kasey Chambers and Troy Cassar-Daley are ‘singer-songwriters’ – this is a loose division of my own creation, and subsets do occur). I would have paid money to see him, so I put some in his guitar case.
Tamworth report: Danny Widdicombe
The Tamworth Hotel, 25 January
When he arrived in Tamworth Danny Widdicombe had no idea he was going to play the afternoon slot at the Tamworth Hotel, where he was appearing in Karl Broadie’s band at night. But when the band that had been performing from 2 till 5 had to abandon ship, Widdicombe stepped in and gave everyone present a delightful afternoon of music, all the more special because it had been unexpected.
As rain pelted down on the garden stage, the instruments and equipment were moved into the front bar, allowing everyone to get cosy next to the pool tables. Accompanied by Fiddleboy a.k.a. Luke Moller a.k.a. ‘The Champ’ (for he had won the national bluegrass fiddling championships), Widdicombe plunged into over two hours of songs from his album The Transplant Tapes, as well as Beatles and Neil Young covers; the highlight was a sublime version of 'Dear Prudence'. Having seen this duo play, and on other occasions seeing Karl Broadie and Johnny Kendall play together without accompaniment, I’ve decided that a guitar-and-fiddle duo is a wondrous thing (of course, you need the right guitarist and the right fiddler, but I’m not ruining a good theory over detail thanksverymuch).
After not even drawing breath for a set break, Widdicombe eventually stepped aside to give The Falls some time at the microphone, then regrouped with The Champ and brought in, separately, Kevin Bennett from The Flood, Michael Roberts from Karl Broadie’s band and the mighty Den Hanrahan - as well as a dude called Dax whose full name I don’t know - for a couple of songs each. It was the best kind of free-form musical love-in and you could tell that the punters felt they’d been treated to something very special. It’s again a mark of the kind of festival Tamworth is, that musicians of this calibre could all be found in one place and with enough time to take up this sort of opportunity and make something unique for everyone in the room. It was like the best kind of Christmas present.
http://www.myspace.com/dannywiddicombe
When he arrived in Tamworth Danny Widdicombe had no idea he was going to play the afternoon slot at the Tamworth Hotel, where he was appearing in Karl Broadie’s band at night. But when the band that had been performing from 2 till 5 had to abandon ship, Widdicombe stepped in and gave everyone present a delightful afternoon of music, all the more special because it had been unexpected.
As rain pelted down on the garden stage, the instruments and equipment were moved into the front bar, allowing everyone to get cosy next to the pool tables. Accompanied by Fiddleboy a.k.a. Luke Moller a.k.a. ‘The Champ’ (for he had won the national bluegrass fiddling championships), Widdicombe plunged into over two hours of songs from his album The Transplant Tapes, as well as Beatles and Neil Young covers; the highlight was a sublime version of 'Dear Prudence'. Having seen this duo play, and on other occasions seeing Karl Broadie and Johnny Kendall play together without accompaniment, I’ve decided that a guitar-and-fiddle duo is a wondrous thing (of course, you need the right guitarist and the right fiddler, but I’m not ruining a good theory over detail thanksverymuch).
After not even drawing breath for a set break, Widdicombe eventually stepped aside to give The Falls some time at the microphone, then regrouped with The Champ and brought in, separately, Kevin Bennett from The Flood, Michael Roberts from Karl Broadie’s band and the mighty Den Hanrahan - as well as a dude called Dax whose full name I don’t know - for a couple of songs each. It was the best kind of free-form musical love-in and you could tell that the punters felt they’d been treated to something very special. It’s again a mark of the kind of festival Tamworth is, that musicians of this calibre could all be found in one place and with enough time to take up this sort of opportunity and make something unique for everyone in the room. It was like the best kind of Christmas present.
http://www.myspace.com/dannywiddicombe
Monday, January 28, 2008
Tamworth report: The McClymonts
West Tamworth League Club, 25 January
The McClymonts’ first ‘big’ Tamworth show (they have busked and played support for other acts in the past) was in itself a big ticket – it sold out several days in advance. So I was feeling pretty smug – despite some ribbing from others – about taking my place in the audience at Wests. I’d even caught the sisters’ Big W in-store earlier in the day to get in the mood.
As noted elsewhere in this blog, I love the McClymonts. I love it all – the fact that they’re sisters, that they glam it up, that they play instruments, that they have great harmonies. I wasn’t disappointed in the show. It was like reading 10 women’s magazines all at once – it was that satisfying in a pop-cultural way. From squealing small children to overexcited grey nomads to even one Guy Sebastian hanging near the back, this show had oomph. Much to my delight, they played my two favourite tracks from their 2006 EP, as well as almost every track from their long-player, Chaos and Bright Lights. There was no revolutionary musicality going on – it was pure entertainment, of the sort that Australian country music stars do so well. And at 20 bucks a ticket, it was a bargain. I would go again, although perhaps not for a while – they don’t have enough material yet to create a diverse string of shows. But they have stage presence and lovely voices and I’m glad they’re around.
Oh yeah, Morgan Evans and Nick Kingswell supported. Both pretty good. But they weren’t wearing dresses and they weren’t sisters, so I wasn’t really paying attention. Sorry, lads.
themcclymonts.com.au
The McClymonts’ first ‘big’ Tamworth show (they have busked and played support for other acts in the past) was in itself a big ticket – it sold out several days in advance. So I was feeling pretty smug – despite some ribbing from others – about taking my place in the audience at Wests. I’d even caught the sisters’ Big W in-store earlier in the day to get in the mood.
As noted elsewhere in this blog, I love the McClymonts. I love it all – the fact that they’re sisters, that they glam it up, that they play instruments, that they have great harmonies. I wasn’t disappointed in the show. It was like reading 10 women’s magazines all at once – it was that satisfying in a pop-cultural way. From squealing small children to overexcited grey nomads to even one Guy Sebastian hanging near the back, this show had oomph. Much to my delight, they played my two favourite tracks from their 2006 EP, as well as almost every track from their long-player, Chaos and Bright Lights. There was no revolutionary musicality going on – it was pure entertainment, of the sort that Australian country music stars do so well. And at 20 bucks a ticket, it was a bargain. I would go again, although perhaps not for a while – they don’t have enough material yet to create a diverse string of shows. But they have stage presence and lovely voices and I’m glad they’re around.
Oh yeah, Morgan Evans and Nick Kingswell supported. Both pretty good. But they weren’t wearing dresses and they weren’t sisters, so I wasn’t really paying attention. Sorry, lads.
themcclymonts.com.au
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