Gareth Liddiard @ TheSpiegeltent, Brisbane(14/09/11)

Sun 18th Sep, 2011 in Gig Reviews

As a part of the annual Brisbane festival, The Courier Mail Spiegeltent has taken up residency within King George Square. The Spiegeltent is an intimate venue with a small stage, string lights spiralling down from the ceiling over the crowd and tables named after famous cities from around the world occupy the outside ring of the tent.

With a brief introduction over the PA the humble Gareth Liddiard takes to the stage armed only with his acoustic guitar and a water bottle filled with ‘tea’. Mocking his introduction with his trademark wit as he tunes his guitar, Liddiard already has won over the audience before the first note of The Collaborator.

His voice is both harsh and soft on the second track, which is the closest thing to a single off the Strange Tourist release, Blondin Makes an Omelette. The bittersweet tale of 19th century French tightrope walker Charles Blondin, documenting the stunt where he took on the high wire and cooked an omelette above Niagara Falls.

Explaining the roots behind Highplains Mailman, it seems universal that no one likes receiving Telstra bills as the crowd hang off his every foul mouthed word and try to avoid having their spleen explode from laughter.

His solo album’s title track and the reason that Liddiard bought his own house, Strange Tourist marks the point where he begins to really use the guitar as he bends his fingers up and down the fret board, suggesting he was a double jointed contortionist in a past life.

The first Drones track getting an airing tonight is Wait Long By The River rocker Shark Fin Blues, a track that has become a staple and adopted a new personality in Liddiard’s solo set. Liddiard still treats the track as a rocker as he howls into the mic from the back of the stage while he tries to tear his acoustic in half and occasionally lets out a leg kick from his stool.

Getting back into his solo album, the ten minute Did She Scare All Your Friends Away perfectly follows Shark Fin Blues as Liddiard delves into themes of self worth and doubt as he croons the line ‘I was a beauty in her youth’ in a tale of young love. The diminished chord breakdowns act as interludes between the extended verses documenting various points in the tale.

Liddard voices what we were all thinking about boisterous Queensland politician Bob Katter as he launches into Gala Mill track I Don’t Ever Want to Change. Liddiard nearly bursts a blood vessel yelling into his microphone during the chorus and his acoustic guitar has just as much power as an electric as he fingerpicks through the track.

Liddiard loses his place in the colonial themed Brisbane track Sixteen Straws when an audience member wooos at the mention of Brisbane but he pushes on to deliver one of the night’s most heartfelt tracks. He launches into the final track of the night, The Drones’ classic, Jezebel. Liddiard’s voice is both conflicted and powerful as he bellows for the final time all the while showing off his skills on guitar. With the final line of “I would love to see you again,” Liddiard thanks the crowd and leaves the stage as a virtuoso and unrivaled talent.

Gareth Liddiard is a rare talent and there truly is no one else like him in the world of music. His banter ranged from building a pizza oven that could lead him to quitting music through to hilariously showing the crowd why he would not win a fight if forced to ski from an attacker. it’s this humous that makes it hard to believe that the serious depth of lyrical content comes from the same person. Liddiard is a true performer who has to be seen live.