Transcription of Organ Music,Saskia Sansom @ The Front,Canberra (30/6/11)

Mon 11th Jul, 2011 in Gig Reviews

When the mercury drops below zero by dusk and ice starts forming on cars at traffic lights, Canberra by night can resemble a bleak, cold, ghost town. Dig a little deeper and you will stumble across gems tucked away in the suburbs where people can gather to warm their bellies with wine and listen to quality, often free live music.

One of these venues is The Front in Lyneham, and on that particular Thursday night Saskia Sansom and Transcription of Organ Music were the artists. The combination of the music, an art show and perhaps the aromatic smell of mulled wine drifting through the ‘burbs ensured the venue had a healthy audience, with almost all of the couches and seats taken.

Saskia Sansom, a Melbourne based songstress was first to take the stage. Sansom has released two self-recorded albums laced with delicate, thoughtful material. Her second release The Silver Ship features Jim White, from Dirty Three. Sansom performed much of her new material, choosing just a keyboard or guitar to complement her eerie, moody vocals. Some of the stand out numbers included Rosemary; an emotional and captivating piece and Dear Alex a deeply personal and moving song.

The only downfall about the set was the nerves the singer claimed to have felt throughout her performance. Having graced Melbourne bars regularly since 2007, it is hard to imagine why Sansom would be nervous in a small casual venue, but perhaps the intimacy coupled with a new environment were driving factors, and the audience certainly didn’t seem to notice. In fact, they thoroughly enjoyed the professional and quality set.

Transcription of Organ Music was next to take the stage. Folk and country musician Damon Bird is the man behind the music, performing either solo or with friends. The Tassie man did it alone at The Front, using a combination of guitar and mouth organ to captivate the audience. At the risk of sounding like a cliché, TOOM’s style can only be described as unique. Switching between country, gothic and alternative folk then a mixture of all three, TOOM’s music seemed to evolve and tell a story in the thirty minute slot.

TOOM has recorded a small selection of limited edition CD releases as well as the latest album A Farmer’s Work is Never Done. His songs are relatively long and blend together to form a beautiful dialogue of emotion and mood. The audience was truly seduced by the end of his set and it was all over too quickly – definitely one to watch out for.

The night may have ended for their Canberran audience but for Saskia Sansom and Transcription of Organ Music, it was just halfway through their winter tour, the pair are travelling from Tasmania to Queensland, no doubt expanding their fan base along the way.