Ry Cooder and Nick Lowe @ TheState Theatre, Sydney(23/11/09)

Mon 30th Nov, 2009 in Gig Reviews

When one of my top ten guitarists (email me if you want the whole top 10!) comes to Australia and in tow he has one of my dearest pop balladeers and songwriters, then the gig becomes a must-see just to experience what will transpire. Will we get trainwreck or magic? The performance by Ry Cooder and Nick Lowe was Houdini-like.

From the get-go, we were treated to some of the major highlights of Ry’s career, with a strong focus on songs he recorded in the – œ70s. The State Theatre was set up for music and rock/blues/gospel/pop band mode, with no special lighting fixtures or even a carpet to stand on. The stage was purposefully bare to showcase the talents of Mr. Cooder and Mr. Lowe and the vocals of Juliette Commagere and Alex Lily and the added drumming of Mr. Cooder’s son, Joachim. Just five people making some of the best live music I have heard in 2009.

Nick Lowe kicked it off, singing his song Fool Who Knows which was originally recorded as part of the Little Village project (Cooder/Lowe/John Hiatt and Jim Keltner). It still had legs and just the sound of Ry’s slide playing was magical and could not be mistaken for anyone else. The – œfools’ theme continued with the ode to cigarettes and we got to hear Ry sing with his fabulous fretwork.

The tone, the rhythm, the solos were just all spot on. He even took a guitar solo right out of Jerry Garcia’s pages at one juncture that was definitely a tip of the hat to an old friend. It is always nice to have a – œJerry is in the building’ moment. Honestly, that is something that happens very rarely this far below the equator.

What was charming to see was the joyful interaction that took place between Nick and Ry. Smiles and jokes and light-hearted banter truly displayed that these two men in their 60s have been experiencing a very positive, life-affirming tour.

With a set-list that has not varied much from town to town, we were given some country, Latin, rock and, of course blues. As Nick Lowe so aptly put it when someone from the crowd yelled out a request: “So many songs, so little time.” We did get the expected Crazy – œBout An Automobile, Fool For A Cigarette, and The Very Thing That Makes You Rich (Makes Me Poor), but it was some of the other songs that Ry and Nick cherry-picked that made this set perfect.

Down In Hollywood was a major highlight of the entire ensemble. The interplay of slide and harmonies and a perfect groove made the hair stand up on my arms. We were in the presence of greatness, for sure. Chuck Berry’s 13 Question Method, the Doc Pomus-penned Little Sister and What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding rounded out the encores. Everyone joined in for the well-deserved standing ovation.

Once again the proof of a fabulous concert is how many people you saw outside the State Theatre with ear to ear grins and who would talk to strangers about how excited and pleased they were with what they saw.

Nick Lowe appears to have motivated Ry to take to the road again and this is a blessing. Let’s hope the performing bug has taken over a place in Ry’s heart and we will see more of him on stages around the globe. He is a gentleman, a genius and a living legend that needs to get out more.