Being my first time seeing a gig at the beautiful Vodafone Live At The Chapel, I was most impressed that the set up of the venue suited Xavier Rudd’s music like a glove. There were candles throughout the venue which added to the ambience.

This was Xavier’s first gig after four months overseas and you could tell straight away he was pleased as punch to be back on home soil. Xavier started the night off with a new song of his current album White Moth and it was clear that he hasn’t strayed from his formula which isn’t a bad thing. If it aint broke don’t fix it! His amazing meld of folk, rock and traditional Aboriginal music is what makes him such a unique performer and has put him in class of his own.

Most of Xavier’s set consisted of long extended jams of familiar songs which would be long and boring for some artists. But Xavier plays all the instruments himself and that just makes his performances all the more exciting.

The one thing Xavier has changed is the arrangements of his music – the added influence of the Middle East he now uses reflects global sounds that flesh out his songs, while still paying tribute to his Australian heritage.

The highlight of every Xavier Rudd show I’ve seen over the last couple of years is ‘Green Spandex’ – a beautiful song which tells the story of friends and lovers who may have passed away. A message everyone can relate to. That’s one aspect of Xavier’s popularity; he can write amazing, simple message songs as well as be an incredible, proficient and complex musician.

He played for about two hours which I though was incredibly generous of him. He loves to play and he totally respects the love he receives from his audience.

He finished the night off with his own version of Bob Marley’s ‘Redemption Song’. Even though this song was written over 30 years ago, its message is timeless and very reflective of these current times. Xavier and Bob have a few things in common – they both sang about peace and love and embraced the global fusion of music. I think if Bob was still alive today he would be proud of someone like Xavier spreading the message of redemption; one thing Bob did until the day he died.

I look forward to seeing more fantastic concerts at this amazing and underused venue.