Darren Hanlon, MissinCat @Tilley's Cafe, Canberra,(20/12/09)

Tue 22nd Dec, 2009 in Gig Reviews

Following on from his successful Fingertips and Mountaintops tour of the US in November, Darren Hanlon returned to Canberra for the third and final time in 2009 for a solo Christmas concert.

After stating in August that he planned to perform less this year, the announcement by The Lucksmiths and his subsequent support of their farewell concerts throughout September seemed to have spurred a tour flurry. With a US tour looming, in October Darren Hanlon announced five Christmas concerts to round out the year: Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and a final concert in Brisbane.

A perennial visitor to the capital, Hanlon played his penultimate Christmas concert at the venue that seems to love him best. First in March this year, then in support of The Lucksmiths farewell gig in September, the solo concert was a first for both Hanlon and Tilley’s Devine Café in Lyneham, arguably securing him the title of Tilley’s favourite son. The concert was the final Tilley’s gig for 2009 and I can think of no better performer to provide their closing for the year.

Hanlon was supported by Berlin-based singer MissinCat (aka Caterina Barbieri). Having previously supported Amy Winehouse on her German tour in October, this is her first trip to Australia and, more than likely, a wholesome change. A relative unknown in Australia, MissinCat has a stage presence much like Stephanie Dosen and a voice akin to Kimya Dawson. Or a more reserved Soko – you choose. Slightly apprehensive initially, perhaps reflective of being relatively unseasoned to performing live, MissinCat gradually warmed to the encouraging crowd. A little too much whistling and perhaps an extraneous kazoo here and there aside (its promise not entirely living up to audience expectation but bonus points for novelty factor), MissinCat provided a unique and charming performance, inclusive of the single Back On My Feet from her soon to be released debut album. The talented MissinCat is a genuine pop find and will certainly be around for some time.

Tilley’s cabaret-style setting normally sets a laidback mood and Darren Hanlon’s relaxed performance was no exception to this rule. At home in the innately comfortable surroundings, he casually entered the stage wearing his custom-painted, one-of-a-kind, autographed and US op-shop bought shirt perfectly adorned with panda bear logo. Without hesitation, he announced his season’s greetings to the crowd and commenced proceedings with Electric Skeleton from his latest album Pointing Ray Guns at Pagans.

For those who have seen Hanlon perform at Tilley’s before, it may have been tempting to see how he would fare without a band. Having seen him at each of his gigs at Tilley’s the last few years, I can safely say that he carried the solo effort off easily. In fact, the crowd didn’t seem to notice the difference – the lack of accompaniment providing a refreshing, sedate and seamless change.

Whether reflective of the lateness of the year, the festive season or just the solitary nature of the gig, the Tilley’s crowd was a little more subdued than usual. However this did not curb their enthusiasm nor their appreciation. The requisite friendly hecklers were there and were paid their due attention, particularly one Mad Max t-shirt attired would-be comedian who acquired the role of regular heckler. Hanlon commented that a concert without hecklers was overly disturbing, citing his heckler-free Sydney Christmas concert, and was relieved to be back in Tilley’s where he was assured a standard of heckling both in quantity and quality. In all other respects, the crowd was fervent in their appreciation and clamoured for more.

A friendly and chatty act ordinarily, he was even more conversational than usual, providing numerous and humorous stories and anecdotes, ranging from wedding hecklers in Tamworth, planning a traditionally hot and uncomfortable Australian Christmas in his home town of Gympie and various deeds from his recent US tour. Replete with references to pinball tournaments (a personal love, it seems, making the semi-finals in Seattle), secret tips for playing Galaga (its correct pronunciation a surprisingly controversial topic for the crowd) and his entry to the impressive South by Southwest Festival, Hanlon’s stories provided amusing and reflective intros to his songs.

A consummate professional and lyrical storyteller, he is always a pleasure to watch perform live. With a mixture of old and new (probably more new than old) Hanlon sans band provided the opportunity to hear alternative and acoustic versions of his songs, including his breakthrough Falling Aeroplanes on banjo. Manilla, normally accompanied by piano, was a request played on guitar and then only as an experiment by an initially uncertain Hanlon; this was an unprecedented treat and one the crowd clearly enjoyed. About halfway through, he was joined by author and singer Lucy Lehmenn on two songs (one his and one hers) before continuing solo.

At the end of his set, the crowd rallied for an encore. He did not disappoint and as is becoming customary for his concerts, provided the audience with his very own unique spin of a classic 80s song. Accompanied by MissinCat (who was in turn accompanied by her superfluous kazoo), Hanlon sang an entertaining version of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl. Previous covers have included Fisher Z’s Perfect Day and Phil Oakey’s Electric Dream. Audience reaction, as always with his covers, was mixed – however most seemed to be in on the joke.

With the exception of Uptown Girl, all encore songs were requests, reflecting the friendly, informal and interactive nature of the night. At one point, Hanlon even launched into Six White Boomers when asked to sing a Christmas song; however (perhaps wisely) he gave up after only one verse. Encore requests included Happiness is a Chemical, Lismore and the touchingly beautiful crowd favourite The Last Night of Not Knowing You. With this, he wrapped up his two-hour solo concert, leaving behind a clearly satisfied audience and, I suspect, quite a few new fans.

A little lie – I didn’t actually see Darren support The Lucksmiths at Tilley’s in September … I chose instead to see them perform their very last gig at The Corner Hotel in Melbourne. In hindsight, of course, I should have attended both, a lapse I now regret. A Tilley’s gig is a delight and a Darren Hanlon concert even more so. Tilley’s and Hanlon combined guarantees a good time and in this expectation I was not let down.

Darren returns to record in the US and perform at South by Southwest in January 2010. I will impatiently await his return to Canberra (and hopefully to Tilley’s) next year.