Tuesday night is usually not conducive for going out there is that fear that there is another three days of the week left and is it really reasonable to start fighting the hangover angst before the mid way point. The contemplation of this fact didn’t come into fruition at the Xavier Rudd concert …The jean clad crew were so chill-axed that it seem almost natural to put the extra beer to ones lips, stay that extra hour longer and worry about Wednesday when it finally decided to turn up hang over in tow.
The crowd at Xavier Rudd were like a group lost surfer kids in the middle of the city. All donned thongs, t-shirts and shorts on what was an antarcticly cold Melbourne night with only dreads as a form of insulation from the cold. All of this made me feel like I was at a blues and roots festival and when I left HiFi bar I would walk straight into a mid-summers day. Unfortunate winter clad Melbourne waited outside.
The set by Mr Rudd was introduced by a woman scream like she was in labour pains, as it turns out it was just uncontrollable excitement at seeing Xavier live in concert. One boyfriend dashed closer to the front faster than the Road Runner, leaving his girlfriend stranded and in the crowd all previous conversation seem to stop as Xavier walked on stage. Xavier walked out donning a hat with two feathers protruding out the top which gave him a strange likening to the pied piper and as I was later to find out he would memorize his audience in just the same vain as the piper did.
The gig at HiFi bar was a national tour for his newest album Darker Shades of Blue which was release in August this year. On the album Darker Shades of Blue Xavier has the opportunity to explore more than the laid back folk style that has made him so well know. This album had a surprising rock tinge and though still quintessentially Rudd style there was a clear expansion in his style repertoire. Some of the new songs like Darker Shades of Blue and Black Water were met with mixed reviewed as the two piece band launched into these rockier sounding songs; however the crowd was put back at ease with songs like Edge of The Moon, Secrets and Guku which have the same sound as Rudd’s previous work. Xavier also played an old song or two with the crowd going wild for Choices. The crowd and Xavier acted like old friends, he chatted to them telling them stories in a language I could hardly understand, but from what I picked up he was funny and had an odd obsession with tractors.
Mr. Rudd will be on tour till early December, performing all over the country to sell out shows, and from seeing him live it’s easy to see why Xavier Rudd isa hit with punters all over Australia.
to listen to their music now on 
