Clare Bowditch and the NewSlang, Glenn Richards, AndyBull @ The Metro, Sydney(23/10/10)

Mon 25th Oct, 2010 in Gig Reviews

There’s not a great deal to dislike about Andy Bull. The singer-songwriter is charming, wryly funny with his self-deprecating humour and a very clever keyboardist, mixing the conventional piano sound with wavering Moog and even some organ tinkering. The only thing that may stop you is Bull’s scrawny vocal yelp – described by the man himself as “the elephant in the room” – which is particularly divisive when it rings out over the PA.

In truth, it really shouldn’t deter you too greatly: it’s bold and distinctive, bringing a distinguished style to his stripped-back performance, accompanied only by Slow Down Honey’s Alex Bennison on guitar and harmony vocals. He even strikes the attention of a disinterested punter when he wheels out the Golden Brown -esque waltz of Dog. “I know this song!” they report loudly, to which Bull laughs and responds: “He knows this song! It’s gonna make me rich!” One of the better songwriters doing the rounds in Sydney right now, Bull was a lovely way to begin proceedings – he moves to headliner at Spectrum in just under a month, and it will be interesting to observe exactly where he goes from there.

Just a few weeks before his own headlining show at the very same venue, Glenn Richards opted for the solo acoustic mode, which served to both good and bad points. The good was the music itself – his new songs are sounding far more engaging and lively than Augie March’s last go-around, Watch Me Disappear. It was also very rewarding to hear some older favourites, even being as kind to play The Cold Acre from 2006’s Moo, You Bloody Choir upon request.

The downside was that the crowd were under the impression that there was no-one important on the stage and that it was perfectly acceptable to talk through Richards’ performance. This disrespectful nature certainly raised the man’s ire, but he thankfully handled the entire scenario like the veteran that he is. What better way to shut the crowd up and whip up some attention than with a tender, passionate rendition of One Crowded Hour – a song which you’d forgive Richards for never wanting to play again, but are eternally thankful that he chooses not to. Nice to have you back, mate.

Clare Bowditch’s Feeding Set may be well-missed, but let it be known that the lady herself seems to be right at home with her expanded new group, The New Slang. Swaying on-stage just as the group kicked into the title track from this year’s Modern Day Addiction, she was quick to grab the attention of her audience and subsequently grasp it for every last minute she was on stage.

Bowditch’s charm is undeniable – no matter how many people she performs to, it’s always a feeling like you are the only one she is singing to, establishing a warm intimacy and a humanity to her set. She cracks jokes, pulls out her infamous Julia Gillard impersonation and, just to prove how much of a people person she is, gets one of her Twitter followers, “Ginger Chris,” to come out during Prinz Willy to play the instrument he tried to guess featured in the middle section of the song over Twitter – for the record, it was two toy aeroplanes, which make the generated noise of a plane landing.

Bowditch is surrounded by great musicians – amongst them the adorable Lady Garden, in matching floral dresses and gorgeous three-part harmonies; guitarist Tim Harvey of Hot Little Hands, adding in angular, jangly electric guitar to the mix and dressing up as a runner to jog around the venue during Running; and Clare’s husband the irreplaceable Marty Brown of Art Of Fighting, keeping the entire affair rhythmically together with his flair for tightly-wound and intricate drum patterns.

It’s evident that the octet have grown into somewhat of a family, having a great time on stage and interacting with one another constantly. At times, they even improvise songs while Clare is tuning, making the experience that much more entertaining. It also appears to be a very versatile band – they get practically everyone dancing when they cover David Bowie’s Fashion, and yet have frozen the audience dead in their tracks when they play an older number like I Thought You Were God, or even Modern Day Addiction’s closing number, Stars. It is quite remarkable just how well these musicians have gelled together in such a short period of time.

Perhaps more so than ever, Clare Bowditch is in a good way. She’s released what is unquestionably her best album, is playing with an outstanding backing band and is on the receiving end of a world of media attention. The fact she’s been able to keep herself in check throughout all of this speaks volumes of her, but turning in sweet-natured, engaging and memorable performances such as these are quickly assisting her rise to national treasure status. A fun, charming night showcasing some of the finer talents in the country, you couldn’t really ask for a whole deal more.