Bob Log III @ the OldTreasury, Perth (28/01/12)

Wed 1st Feb, 2012 in Gig Reviews

There is nothing more annoying, in the entire freakin’ universe, than rocking up to an event and being expected to stand in a line. It’s peasant’s work; and what makes it worse is being able to see over the fence of the venue that one wishes to enter and note that the place is not at its full carrying capacity.

Doubtless it was the fault of the relevant regulatory authorities, rather than the promoters, but this is how punters keen on Bob Log III spent much of the early part of the evening—and indeed, the first song of the Alabama bluesman’s set before security decided to drop the bullshit and just allow everyone to come in.

But on the upside, being outside did allow one to fully appreciate the excellentness of one’s surrounds. Located between the old treasury building and the old town hall, this temporary venue was an aesthetic win the likes of which Perth has not seen in ages. One could almost blank out the repulsive monolithic skyline and relax in the sheer joy of being totally surrounded by buildings that were not built last week to discarded architectural blueprints from the early 1990s.

Upon finally entering, one was greeted by a space that seemed to actually be designed for the enjoyment of the punter. While Bob Log entertained a healthy crowd at one end, one could amuse oneself for ages amongst the plants and stacks of crates and general aesthetic pleasures that come with being amongst buildings that actually were old and actually were run-down. It was very audience friendly.

It was almost good enough to be Melbourne… or at least Freo.

As for Bob Log himself… he is certainly one of the most overrated acts in the business. Everyone loves the blues at the moment because it’s totes legit, ay, and was being done earlier than most modern styles. This may be true but it doesn’t save Log, whose songs are almost identical to one another. There are a few exceptions, such as the ubiquitous Boob Scotch and one or two others, but these are few and far between.

And, of course, he played for ages.

Look, everyone goes on about Bob Log III being fantastic, and I’ll tell ya why that is. It is because he dresses in a skin-tight cannonball suit, controls all the drums and cymbals and backing tracks with his feet while playing blues slide guitar and singing through an old-school telephone receiver that is rigged up to the front of his full-face motorcycle helmet.

He is also an engaging performer who knows how to talk himself up and keep his audience entertained.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he exclaimed in exquisite Southern drawl, “I have not made one mistake tonight!”

…and of course the crowd went wild.

So yes, he put on an amusing show and kept a whole bunch of people engaged and bopping along.

He is still gigantically overrated though. If one had the opportunity to sit on top of a pallet, beneath a large fern, and sip reasonably-priced lemon squash while discussing the architectural genius of the early 20th Century public service, one would definitely take that chance—and would not be perturbed by the sound of Bob Log III.

But the idea that he is an unmissable act is a greatly exaggerated one that would seem to be directly related to the genius of his novelty costumes and sideshow entertainment style.

Can’t fault the venue though. Please make it a permanent fixture on the Perth scene.