Jamie Lidell @ The Forum,Sydney (09/01/09)

Sun 11th Jan, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Some believe the strength of a gig lies in the talent of the entertainer. Others will posit that concert quality is actually measurable by the response of the people being entertained. Tonight, as Jamie Lidell finishes his triumphant run through Australia, the palatable success of the evening rests equally with the unbelievable power of the man as a performer and the joyous feeling emanating from the crowd.

The one thing you instantly understand when entering The Forum is that nobody comes to a Jamie Lidell performance by accident. Every person in the venue has been won over by the British producer-cum-frontman’s unique take on 1950s soul, as well as his formidable live reputation as a master of improvisation. The cream of Sydney’s musical elite is in attendance; including of course the effortlessly cool Ray Mann Three, who have already set a perfect tone for the evening with the sultry jazz-pop set.

Jamie’s 5-piece band, Street Material, looks more like a geriatric convention than a hip young posse, but don’t let images fool you. With a serious jazz pianist who looks every bit Keith bloody Richards, an in-the-pocket drummer who does his job like a pro, a guitarist who has a penchant for Elvis jumpsuits and the impossibly amazing saxophonist, Lidell has clearly cherry-picked his accompaniment as he has his audience. This is clearly a show for jazz heads, as Jamie croons and scats like he belongs in another time period, while the band cooks behind him. More importantly, every single track, be it from Multiply or the newly-released Jim, is re-worked and re-interpreted, with plenty of room for solos. And solo this band does, especially Jamie, armed with a computer mixing desk full of tricks that allows him to auto-tune his voice, reverb and shift-pitch without batting an eyelid, adding a techno touch to an otherwise organic experience.

While the tracks from Jim are cute on wax, they explode on stage – especially the rollicking Wait For Me and Little Bit Of Feel Good. Most impressively, Jamie encourages involvement with an already ecstatic crowd, getting them to sing the chorus line in winners like Another Day and Multiply, which come flying back to him in synch and in tune. This might seem small-time, but it’s a big deal, especially considering your average group of punters can’t even clap in time, let alone hold a harmony.

When Jamie creates his own track through loops, beat boxing, and sampling wizardry, every segment sounds like the next MSTRKRFT hit. This guy is beyond talented. It’s criminal that more people don’t know about him, especially given how endearing he is to everybody in attendance. But perhaps that makes sense. A group of drunken bogans probably wouldn’t – œget’ Lidell anyway. Just in time for the Festival, it seems Sydney has gotten back in touch with its cosmopolitan side. We can thank Jim for that.