Bob Log III @ The AnnandaleHotel, Sydney (13/02/09)

Tue 17th Feb, 2009 in Gig Reviews

CHECK OUT ALL THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW HERE.

There is a curious man who roams the world playing his own brand of Delta blues. It’s strange, it’s sweaty, but you can’t really understand what’s going on. If you experienced this on Friday night, you were well and truly Bob Logged.

As the city teemed with rain, and the winds ripped through the still summery clothes of the patronage, it was a show to match the curious behaviour of Mother Nature. With the crowd well and truly fuelled up, there was nothing left to do apart from introduce one of the most enjoyable acts in music, Bob Log III. The Tucson traveller entered the Annandale in his trademark helmet fitted with a phone handset.

One thing that must be said before I continue is that a show from Bob Log isn’t merely about the music. The show is something unto itself: you are just defenseless to the charm and stage antics of Log. Following the first song of the night from his new album My Shit is Perfect, it was time to strip from the smart-looking tuxedo he had worn into his work clothes.

It took until only the second song before the scream came from Log: “Bring out the boat!” It was the cue for his helpers to bring out a rubber dinghy for him to ride around in atop the crowd. As he played away on top of the crowd, you could sense that the chill from outside was starting to thaw.

The rest of the set was almost a blur. The speed and the skill of Log’s guitar skills came to the fore as he poured everything he had into the set. All the while though, it felt as if something was missing. When all was said and done, you remembered the stage tricks and the gimmicks rather than the songs and the singing. However, for a crowd that had about 30 beers under the belt by the time Log came on, this couldn’t detract from the outrageous antics onstage.

Boob Scotch brought cheers and raised glasses as well, as one woman dunked her right breast in his glass. Log’s exit was magnificent; walking through the crowd and out onto Parramatta Road with his guitar still playing. He returned to massive applause, and as he left the stage for the final time it was time for the crowd to assess what the fuck just happened. In the wake of a blues explosion, we filed out of the Annandale back into the rain – sweaty, dazed and a little dirtier for the occasion.