- œMature’ was the only way to describe the crowd in attendance tonight. Despite this being an all-ages gig on a Friday night, the attendees were largely over-21 and drawn from a wide mix of social groups.

Dallas Frasca did a tight job of warming the stage. With a voice that takes the best elements of fellow Australians Kasey Chambers and Katie Noonan, her ability as a country artist is impeccable. Her partner in crime, left-handed guitarist Jeff Curran, who plays (and dresses) like an Australian incarnation of Slash, offers riffs that complement Dallas perfectly through both her melodic and energetic songs.

Whilst her call-and-response moments isolated all but her personal fan-base, there was no denying that she was able to capture the audience’s imagination with her simplistic yet relevant songs. Ending with an a capella performance for “all those who have been judged on their image”, she left the stage confidently, leaving many a punter impressed.

The crowd packed into the theatre as the stage was quickly set up for the main attraction – Aboriginal flag hanging atop Xavier Rudd’s illustrious multi-instrumental set-up. As the man himself came out, accompanied by drummer Dave Tolley, they began a slow jam into material off their new album Dark Shades Of Blue. It was a direction that took many off guard – the songs blended Xavier’s slide-guitar, didgeridoo instrumentals with compositions more suited for bands like Holy Fuck and Battles.

However it did not take long for Xavier to quickly turn back to his blues – œn’ roots origins, as he jammed through works stretching through his five-album,11-year career. He spent most of the concert with his eyes closed, channelling his energy into performing with a level of spiritual conviction that is not often seen in concerts.

As he changed between his slide guitar, seated front and centre, and his instrument set-up for such songs as Solace, Messages and Land Rights, the crowd danced, swayed and simply soaked in the beautiful atmosphere around them. He spoke to us mid-set about the recent election of Barack Obama, proclaiming (to cheers from the crowd) “The days of George W. Bush are over. And how great is it that he is being replaced by a wonderful black man!” Despite the harmonious nature of his music, he always makes sure we understand the message behind it all, championing the world’s beauty throughout.

From dancing around the stage during a prolonged drum solo to his final poetry recital – raising a dream-catcher in one hand – Xavier Rudd played a show without the theatrics of most contemporary performers. Yet he filled a sold-out Metro Theatre with love and harmony through some great music.