Gig review: The McClymonts, Acoustic Harmony Tour

North Sydney Leagues Club, NSW
9 February 2013

The McClymonts' new tour, Acoustic Harmony, may have been borne out of necessity - it seems to be Brooke McClymont's version of maternity leave (she gave birth to daughter Tiggy at the end of November 2012) - but, as the saying goes, necessity is the mother of invention. In the case of this tour, the McClymonts have found a way to not only please long-time fans (and I am one) but also present the perfect introduction to their music for those who are unwilling to embrace a loud, full-band show.

Promptly at 8 p.m. the three sisters walk onto the stage and take their seats. Those who haven't arrived on time - no doubt thinking there would be a support act - will miss out on what becomes the first of two sets. 

The McClymonts' a cappella start - a cover of Neil Young's 'After the Gold Rush' - is enough to raise the hairs on the back of anyone's neck; those amazing harmonies come from a mysterious place (as all such voices do) and reach out into the room, grabbing the attention of every person there. 

There will be three more covers as the night goes on, each with a purpose for being there, but most of the show is devoted to a chronological progression through the band's EP and three albums. This is a good way to structure an acoustic show - the show then tells us a story about the band (and they tell stories about themselves on the way, giving us some background on albums and songs). It is also brave to structure it this way, because it would have been obvious if the earlier songs had not been able to stand up to the sort of exposure that acoustic versions bring. The McClymonts were obviously - and rightfully - confident about that earlier material; as a fan who regularly listens to that first five-song EP, I was also confident that those songs would be just fine.

I don't want to give away the set list, so all I'll say is that there were some obvious choices - obvious because the recorded versions were already good showcases for the sisters' harmonies - such as 'Shotgun' (from first album Chaos and Bright Lights) and 'Where You Are' (from latest album Two Worlds Collide). There were some other songs that didn't seem so obvious, because the recorded versions are such full-band affairs, and they easily made the transition to the acoustic sound. And there were a couple of songs that I probably would have swapped for others, but they were clearly chosen because they were the singles, and a band can't be faulted for playing the songs that they expect most people to know.

The tour has been designed to put the vocal harmonies at the forefront, and it does this to the extent that it wouldn't matter what lyrics the McClymonts are singing - their voices really are everything. Listening to them sing recalls the term bhakti - bhakti yoga is the yoga of devotion, typically expressed through singing and dancing. To experience bhakti is to experience the ecstatic and divine. Whatever one thinks of the McClymonts' songs, to hear them sing is to experience bhakti. The last time a group of Australian voices belonged together so perfectly it was the Bee Gees (who were, interestingly, also siblings). 

If you are a fan of the band - even a take-em-or-leave-em fan - this show is worth seeing because it is simply great entertainment. If you think you may want to be a fan of the band, this show is the ideal way to explore their music. Plus they are an all-ages band in the truest sense of the word: not because their music wouldn't offend anyone, but because they have worked out how to entertain all types of people. 

While watching the show I sincerely hoped that should the McClymonts ever release a 'greatest hits' album, they choose to make it acoustic. Or that someone at their mixing desk is recording the show each night with a view to releasing a live album. It's rare for any musical act to offer a different version of their music, and for it to work so well. The Acoustic Harmony tour is yet more proof that the McClymonts are unique, and always shall be.

For tour dates, visit the McClymonts online at www.themcclymonts.net.

Gig review: Karl Broadie

Date: 5 August 2012
Venue: The Roxbury Hotel, Glebe NSW (as part of Songwriters Live)


For the uninitiated, Karl Broadie is a Scottish-Australian singer-songwriter with four albums and a few EPs under his belt and a whole lot of other songs that will no doubt find their way onto albums - and some of them were previewed during his half-hour set at the Roxbury Hotel, as one of five artists appearing as part of the Songwriter Live showcase. 


While I wouldn't go so far as to say that Karl is a song machine - as that suggests some kind of automatism about his songwriting process, and he is nothing if not a thoughtful, heartful writer and performer - he does write a lot, and at a consistently high standard. The new songs played during this set showed his development as a writer and also in performance: his voice has never sounded so good. Two older songs, 'Diamonds in the Dark' and 'Sleepyhead', made an appearance but it was the newer songs that appealed to me more, as it's always interesting to see what he comes up with. And the tunes he revealed only made me impatient for him to release a new album so that they can be listened to over and over again. They were all little stories revealing something funny or precious or wise, and beautifully delivered.


Karl is playing gigs around and about - visit his website for details. I classify him as a 'guaranteed good time' performer as I'm yet to see a bad gig from him, so do get along to see him if you can.


www.karlbroadie.com

Tamworth gig review: Harmony James

As soon as her show began at the Wests Diggers showroom at midday on Thursday 26 January, I could tell that the Harmony James v. 2012 was very different to the version I'd seen play at the Southgate Inn in January 2010. Harmony in 2010 was far less confident, almost apologetic about being there on stage in front of us, despite the fact that Tailwind had been one of the best albums for years and she had every right to feel like a superstar. She acknowledged then that she's an introvert, and she said it, too, at Wests this year. But the difference is that she's found her 'gig legs' and worked out a way to put on a show that means she doesn't have to give up her personality just to make it in showbiz. It's the internal arrangement a lot of performers probably make - possibly she learnt it on the road with the McClymonts - and one that is more helpful than harmful: they find a version of themselves that can go on stage and tell jokes and banter with the band, a version that does not take anything away from their true selves and, perhaps, protects it. And in Harmony, it's a version that works.

Harmony took the stage at the front of a band full of very accomplished musicians: Glen Hannah and Dan Conway on guitars, Jeff McCormack on bass and Steve Fearnley on drums. Glen and Steve had played with Felicity Urquhart the night before, so I could only admire their ability to turn around and play a completely different set so well. Jeff did his usual outstanding job in the rhythm section and Dan, while looking like a teenager, played like someone with years and years of experience.

But the star was definitely Harmony. Her voice - that powerful instrument that seems to have all sorts of nooks and crannies - soared clearly over the band, and she delivered a show for fans to enjoy and to win over newcomers alike. It was a great showcase of her songs from both albums. She has said in the past that she's a songwriter, not a performer, but she served those songs very well in performance. She's also touring extensively this year, as a support act for Troy Cassar-Daley and headlining her own shows, and I can now thoroughly recommend that you get yourself along to a gig.

www.harmonyjames.com