Tim Freedman and The Idle,Heath Cullen, Gossling @ TheStreet Theatre, Canberra(17/11/11)

Sat 19th Nov, 2011 in Gig Reviews

When Tim Freedman announces that he’s formed a new band and is releasing his first album in years, it is difficult to know what to expect. A distinctly 1970s pop sound would have surprised even some die-hard Whitlams fans, but it works.

With Tim Freedman and The Idle’s new album Australian Idle just one week old, most of the audience were clueless about Freedman’s new musical direction. Opening act, alternative country musician Health Cullen gave the impression that we were in for classic, melancholic Whitlams gold. His six song set was packed with simple, low key songs with serious, brooding undertones and painful emotions brewing just under the surface. His songs were far from catchy, but his honesty and warmth made it easy for the audience to connect on an emotional level.

Folk pop outfit Gossling also did little to shed light on what to expect from Freedman in their short set. While there are scores of successful female vocalists with unconventional voices, Gossling vocalist, pianist and general sweetheart Helen Coombe rivals the best of them. She did more than steal the spotlight from drummer Peter Martin and bassist Josh Jones, who gave an understated performance that let her shine.

One of the joys of Gossling’s performance was hearing the inspiration behind each song. War is Coombe’s take on what war in Australia might feel like, while I Was Young is about the lasting impact of schoolyard bullying. The Only Way is about two friends who keep breaking up and getting back together. In this, Coombe’s voice was so enveloping that by the time the song finished, those who had never been in an unhealthy relationship would have known exactly what it felt like.

Their cover of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool’s Dance the Way I Feel was an interesting choice for a predominantly older audience, but the smaller Gen Y crowd were appreciative.

Coombe is warm, grounded and lacks the arrogance of some other musicians of her calibre. At the end of each song she smiled sweetly and thanked the audience in such a genuine manner that few would have declined the free Gossling fridge magnets on offer after the set.

Tim Freedman and The Idle made it clear that they were not a reincarnation of The Whitlams from their opening track, Peter Brown, which was closer to the pop genre than most Whitlams classics. In true Freedman fashion, most songs still have a darker side – Peter Brown sounds relatively joyous, but is actually about a homeless man who goes missing, and Old Man is about a roadie who died because he wouldn’t go to the doctor when he was sick.

Heath Cullen made his second appearance for the night on guitar, and was joined by Amy Vee on guitar and keyboard, Zoe Hauptmann on bass and Dave Hibbard on drums. Attempts at establishing chemistry between band members felt forced, but forgivable given that they only have a few shows under their belt.

The new band lent a fuller, melodious and harmonious sound to Freedman’s latest songs, which have the same charm, magic and wit of his older work, but sound like they were plucked from a 1970s jukebox rather than the bottom of an empty wine bottle. This was best evidenced by Don’t be Proud, which is the next episode of the Whitlams classic, Keep the Light On. The cheerful song couldn’t have been further from the melancholy, heavy Keep the Light On.

Other gems included There was a Time, which was taken from one of Freedman’s friend’s wedding speeches, and a tearjerking cover of Matraca Berg’s Back When We Were Beautiful.

Freedman is totally at ease behind a piano, even though he’s more likely to be sipping out of a water bottle than from a wine glass these days. As a natural performer he got away with forgetting the opening chords to a song and messing up a few bars of an Elton John cover. Mistakes didn’t faze him; he was out having as good a time as the rest of us.

Even The Whitlams songs weren’t exempt from Freedman’s new musical direction. They performed a refreshing rendition of the old favourite Beauty in Me – the only Whitlams track played during the set – which was livened up by female backing vocals and extra instruments.

Showing that Freedman can’t resist going back to his roots, the encore included two Whitlams classics, Fall for You and Keep the Light On, before leaving us with a haunting cover of Two Little Boys.

For Whitlams fans wondering whether it’s worth catching Tim Freedman next time he’s in town, he’s still got it. Smiles and all.