Jamie T, Earnest Ellis @ TheHi-Fi, Brisbane (23/09/2009)

Fri 2nd Oct, 2009 in Gig Reviews

An eclectic mix of music fans headed to Jamie T – œs sold out show at The Hi-Fi on a rather windy and ridiculously dusty Wednesday night. But really is there any better way to forget the possibility of getting black lung or having a huge asthma attack than alcohol and live music? This reviewer thinks not, and by the sardine-like atmosphere on the main floor, most Brisbanites agree.

To kick off the night, Sydneysider Earnest Ellis and his back up band strolled onto the stage with the over excited crowd going absolutely wild. Unfortunately, that was the most exciting part of their set. Whilst Earnest Ellis is a magnificent songwriter and musician in his own, as a support act for Jamie T, he kind of sucked. His songs lacked the charisma and energy that makes Jamie T just so darn addictive. The set managed to pick up towards the end, but it wasn’t enough to recapture the interest and imagination of the crowd. Earnest Ellis is a musician with huge potential, but was poorly suited to the show tonight.

During the break between bands the crowd got progressively more and more drunk and energetic, eagerly anticipating Jamie T. He swaggered onto the stage with The Pacemakers with his trademark “I find this all so amusing” grin. The crowd sang along word for word for almost every single song of the set, starting with songs from the latest release Kings And Queens such as The Man’s Machine, 368, Earth, Wind And Fire and hit single Sticks N Stones.

This bunch of lads from Wimbledon put on an engaging show, expressing their full musical and vocal talents, whilst still managing to look like they are having the time of their lives but can’t work out how they got so lucky. Unlike so many bands out there today, they actually seem to enjoy performing every night and manage to break up the set with hilarious interludes including yelling at the kids on the balcony for not dancing, saying hello to some friends of friends who are in the crowd, and a quick drink or two. Jamie takes everything in his stride, putting up with the kids in the front row groping him and diving onto the stage at every available opportunity, even checking to make sure that security isn’t too rough getting them off before they cause any damage. It’s little wonder that punters almost brought down the balcony with their stamping during a brief break between songs (and a quick tidy up of the stage).

When the band make it back on stage the crowd has reached hysterics of almost magnificent proportions. Within a few seconds of the final song Sheila around twenty kids leap onto the stage and start dancing and singing along, much to the surprise of both the band and security. With cliché perfection the boys produce one of the most memorable encores and spontaneous group singalongs seen in a long time.

Without a doubt, Jamie T has been the best live act to grace the stages of The Hi-Fi this year. With his quick wit, addictive melodies and genre bending influences this charismatic 23 year old is someone you do not want to miss seeing live. Even if you don’t think you enjoy his music after seeing him live you’ll want to be his best friend too. Make sure you get tickets to see him when he hits our shores again in a few months.