quiet paws.

With the end of 2007 and the start of 2008 I thought it appropriate to reflect on some of the last things that I did in 2007. So without further ado…the last:

CD I Purchased – Rain on Lens (Smog)

Movie I Watched – The Darjeeling Limited

Dinner – Curry Lentil Pie and Roast Potatoes

Breakfast – Buttered Raisin Toast and Soy Flat White (in a mug)

Book I Purchased – Heart is A Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)

Book I Finished Reading – One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

DVD I Purchased – Marie Antoinette

Live Music Event I Went to – Nick Cave (Solo) and Grinderman

Chocolate Bar – Fry’s Turkish Delight

Bearing witness to something incredible within its natural environment is a truly wondrous thing. Coffee always tastes better first thing in the morning, grasped between two cold hands. Roaring fires provide the perfect accompaniment to cold wintry days. Wildlife is best appreciated in the remotest parts of nature. This is not to say that the experiences outside these natural settings wouldn’t be enjoyable, but they just don’t feel as balanced as they would otherwise be.

So was the fortunate experience of witnessing Pete Molinari at Ric’s Bar in Brisbane. While seeing him three days previously at The Living Room in support of Ash Grunwald was pure magic, his latter performance was more fluid, more ‘in the moment’, and felt more him.

For any support artist, as Molinari was to Grunwald, it must be a unique experience to perform to a crowd that are obviously not there to see you and may or may not give themselves the chance to appreciate your performance. While the crowd gradually grew in numbers during Molinari’s performance, it was obvious that the majority were more interested in enjoying a not so quiet ale until Grunwald arrived.

That need to get the right mix of venue, crowd and artist was obviously a dilemma Molinari had recently faced. Taking to the stage for his solo set at Ric’s he mentioned that it had been strange for him because he had been playing a lot of surf gigs. He spoke of the audience reaction, ‘The more they liked it, the more I didn’t like it, and then the more they seemed to like it. In the end we came to a mutual decision and we both kind of liked it…this venue is much more my style, it’s very New York.’

At Ric’s, Molinari was the starring act. When he started playing his guitar and singing his tunes, people passing by were lured in, unable to resist the call and charm of his songs. Telling us that he hadn’t even had a chance to put together a set list for today, he appeared to be completely relaxed and turned in a sublimely attuned set which included some tracks from his album (Walking Off The Map), some tracks not yet released and some excellent covers.

Starting with a track from his album, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, this is a song which exudes a subtle delicacy in both lyrics and melody. The feelings and sentiment it conveys hang in the air and leaves listeners in awe of its sad and soulful charm. Then to one of his yet to be released tracks, ‘New York City’, which is a lament to all that is loved and loathed about a city, the days when it can seem like your best friend or your worst enemy, but through it all the city is always there. Another yet to be released track, ‘The Man That I am’ is like experiencing a folksy blue embrace. Filled with yearning, hope and honesty, this is a ‘real’ song delivered with poetic rawness, and accompanied by some emotive harmonica playing.

Covering the classics in charming style, Molinari delivered a richly textured rendition of Hank Williams ‘My Heart Would Know’. Like everything he sings this song in a way which strikes right to the heart, and in captivating fashion so that time feels like it stands still while it too pauses to appreciate Molinari. Getting in touch with his European heritage, Molinari launched into a beautiful and intensely energetic version of ‘Marina’, performing verses in both English and Italian. With his unique and wondrously real vocals, Molinari had the girls dancing and the guys tapping their feet. Then sampling a bit from the country side of the tracks, Molinari closed his set with some Cash. His ability to be very much in a moment, all heart and soul, is what helps to make his version of ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ so spine tingling good.

Molinari is a masterful performer, snappy dresser and all round nice guy…the spirits are contented, the world breathes easy and all is as it should be.

The stylishly laidback underground bunker that is The Living Room was the perfect venue for the seriously cool Ash Grunwald. First up though was a performance from UK artist Pete Molinari, in Australia to promote his debut album ‘Walking Off the Map’. Still suffering from jet lag he warned us that he ‘may fall asleep during this’, but with his raw vocals and emotive delivery it was impossible for the audience to suffer from the same problem.

Performing a comprehensive set which included the heartfelt ‘Love Lies Bleeding’, and the beautifully sorrowful ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time’, Molinari was an engaging live performer.

Just as the crowd really started to bubble over with energy and barely concealed anticipation, Ash Grunwald took to the stage, instantly spreading a sense of calm throughout the excited mob. With his unmistakable dreadlocks, chilled out surf vibe and commanding yet unaffected presence Grunwald is clearly at ease with performing live, minus the arrogance and ego which is often part of the package. He is also a master at connecting with his audience, conversing with them on a range of topics throughout the night and encouraging them to ‘boogie’ and join in with the vocals. However he didn’t want any half-hearted efforts with the singing, at one point complaining that he couldn’t hear any ‘larynx hurting yet’.

Performing a smattering of tracks from each of his releases, there were no gaps in either musical quality or quantity. His jam packed set included the mellow chilled out bluesy beats of ‘Take the Drop’, the cautionary tale ‘Money’, the howling ‘Smokestack Lightning’, and the languorously paced ‘Just Be Yourself’. As for highlights, it was hard to go past the refreshing beach inspired song, ‘1976 Coaster’, which really got the place buzzing with its intense energy. Another particular crowd favourite was ‘Skywriter’, which is as Grunwald puts it ‘about a crazy guy’. With its darker grittier sound and amazing low range vocals, this song showcases Grunwald’s impressive storytelling talents to full effect.

Given the interactive and relaxed nature of Grunwald’s performance, the night was not solely about music, there was much laughter and conversation. However discussion of the evening had to go to the serious assessment of Grunwald’s shoes from both a stylistic and practical perspective. While he recognised that he had some strong views on the matter he thought it best if he ‘got off this whole shoe politics thing’.

Announcing to a disbelieving crowd that this would be his final song, Grunwald really let loose and rocked out hard to ‘Going Out West’, taking the opportunity to ‘unleash the boom’ a few more times. Making moves to pack up his gear, Grunwald conceded ‘Well I’ve gotta do an encore cause you guys absolutely rock’, before launching into one of his signature tracks ‘Dolphin Song’. This real life tale about being saved from a shark by a pod of dolphins told with humour and in traditional bluesy style, was an entirely fitting end to a very satisfying musical evening.

I originally wrote this article for ‘The Dwarf‘.

It was always going to be an interesting mix of people who would come together to to see an enigmatic living legend like Vashti Bunyan. Loyal fans since her original release rougly thirty five years ago were there, as were those who have obviously only recently discovered her music, being of a younger persuasion. However until Bunyan took to the stage later in the evening, we were firstly treated to some wonderful support performers.

Local Brisbane soloist Lee Fielding was first up, and while his time was short, alternating between guitar and banjo he certainly made sure that what he shared was all quality. ‘Reinvent the Wheel’ could be described as mellow country blues and features honest lyrics which are delivered with raw emotion and fragility. He is a grounded performer who has the gift of filling his songs with warmth and reality. ‘My Michelle’ was a highlight, a beautiful love song written for his wife, who was also in residence on the night. While delivering a rich set of his own work, Fielding also covered the Pete Yorn classic ‘Splendid Isolation’ with perfectly restrained energy and truly emotive interpretation.

It was then time for another local Brisbane act, The Kindness of Strangers to share their own unique musical stylings. The four member band offered an intense and intimate musical experience. With poetic lyrics, emotive renditions and amazing original compositions they are something best experienced in person to fully appreciate the balanced vocals and perfectly matched musical accompaniments which included the flute, percussion, guitar and ukulele. Standout track, the sublime ‘Ghost in Love’ was performed with emotion and heartfelt meaning; a ukulele has never sounded so beautiful.

When the time came Vashti Bunyan and her two band members Jo Mango and Gareth Dickson took to the stage in subdued and humble fashion. She is softly spoken and somewhat shy, but when performing it is clear that she is a musical artist who stands the test of time. Performing a comprehensive set of music from both her 1970 debut ‘Just Another Diamond Day’, and her 2005 follow up album, ‘Lookaftering’ it was a pleasure to witness a folk master in the flesh in all her simple pared-back glory.

With her delicate traditional folksy vocals Bunyan is a mesmerising live performer, providing her audience with many spine-tingling moments. From the readily connective ‘Here Before’, to the playfully joyful ‘Hop Along Bess’, to the singular beauty of ‘I’d Like To Walk Around In Your Mind’, Bunyan’s heartfelt lyrics and emotive delivery is perfectly complemented by the fragile simplicity of her musical arrangements. Nothing is over or under done; without ever hearing her songs before they all sound exactly how you always expected them to be. She sings pure poetry that is never abstract or difficult for listeners to reach, hers is a lyrical gift that can conjure up vivid visual landscapes with just a note, a word or a particular phrase.

Obviously also very proud of the songwriting and vocal talents of her band members, Bunyan invited each of them to perform one of their own songs. Dickson performed the song that so impressed Bunyan when she first heard it that she invited him to join her band. ‘Two Trains’ with its dragging vocals and incredibly deft guitar backing worked its magic once again, gaining a very warm reception from the audience. Equally impressive was the heartstopping simplicity of Mango’s song ‘My Lung’ which showcased her incredibly diverse musical talents and deeply reflective and rich lyrics. Bunyan was very keen to promote Dickson and Mango as musical artists in their own right – high praise indeed, but in this case completely warranted.

Bunyan dazzles not in the obvious way of a diamond or precious gem, she glimmers in a more real, more grounded way. Listening to her music triggers a response like you would expect to feel when reaching a cool oasis in the desert or when sighting land after months spent at sea…that sense of relief, comfort and peace which washes over you and is like being warmly welcomed back home. Bunyan weaves intimate stories to reflect upon, and with their basis in her own experiences she brings those stories to life with her words and her subtle melodies. More than you would ever expect, she glistens.

The theatre lights dim. A single spotlight lights the stage. The inimitable Australian blues master CW Stoneking walks onto the stage in black suit and preacher’s hat. Like any well-mannered southern gentleman he is unfailingly polite and a man of few words, preferring to speak through his music. His main conversation centres on his songs themselves, ‘Gonna play some tunes now…and they go a little something like this’. Channelling his stage presence from a time long past, he bathes the audience in reflected light from his steel guitar and commands attention with his full-bodied vocals.

Opening with ‘Goin’ The Country’, Stoneking played a wonderfully rich set, including a number of tracks from his debut album ‘King Hokum’. A particular highlight from his performance would have to be ‘Handyman Blues’, a beautiful soulful lament to time spent working hard as a jack-of-all-trades. Another standout was the stunning ‘She’s a Bread Baker’, a love song of sorts enriched with a light touch of comedy. With gracious thanks, CW Stoneking quietly withdrew from the spotlight, leaving the audience alone once more.

It was then time for the lady in question to grace the stage. With a stage presence and musical performance best summed up by her shoes – simple, elegant and unassuming, Madeleine Peyroux is instantly entrancing. Accompanied by her three piece band Peyroux launches straight into the sultry blues of ‘Blue Alert’, her voice all smoky warmth and smooth layers. With a nod to CW Stoneking, Peyroux declared that seeing as we’ve had blues from the boy’s view of things, it was ‘time for some blues from the ladies side’. And boy did she deliver on those words.

Peyroux and her band made the audience feel at home, with the band themselves seeming to enjoy playing the music just as much as those who were there to listen to it. The night was like bearing witness to four friends who enjoy hanging out and jamming with eachother. Peyroux in particular brings a calm and joyful peace to the stage, displaying the feeling of contentment that comes from sharing her passion with others.

Performing a comprehensive range of songs from each of her albums, she provided a wonderful balance between her own original compositions and the most amazing covers a person could ever hope to hear in their lifetime, ranging from Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Randy Newman. Keeping up a comfortable conversation with the audience, she introduced her song ‘Careless Love’ and asked the audience whether they knew the story of this song. She expanded, ‘Have you ever been careless with something?’ The song then followed with rich soulful vocals, displayed effortlessly against a beautiful soaring melody.

On a night where Peyroux provided so many spine-tingling moments, it is difficult to choose the standout songs. Her selection of covers to perform and her interpretation of those songs were quite simply sublime. With ‘Everybody’s Talking’ she slows the pace, styles her vocals in deliberate and delicate fashion and creates a song that is like a work of art to admire and appreciate. ‘Half the Perfect World’ is a blues song with real meaning. Peyroux’s vocals are delivered with emotion and she conveys intimate feelings and thoughts with effortless elegance. Peyroux and her band provide the perfect balance between musical accompaniment and vocal performance, both are critical yet nothing is overcomplicated; everything is delivered with stunning simplicity.

One of the highlights of the night had to be Peyroux’s performance of ‘Smile’, which was delivered with heartbreaking beauty, conveying strength and fragility at the same time. Delivered with tenderness, and showcasing the amazing depth of her voice, Peyroux’s vocals were at their silk chocolaty best. Following this, and with a bow to the audience, the stage was emptied. Thankfully we didn’t have too long to wait for their return.

Treating the audience to just a little bit more, the encore was a valuable addition to the evening’s entertainment. With a sublime performance of the jazzy ‘Walkin’ After Midnight’, Peyroux uses perfect pace and an uncomplicated arrangement to conjure up visuals with her voice. The final song of the night was appropriately one of Peyroux’s French songs, ‘J’ai Deux Amours’, a beautiful poetic song during which it feels like she transports the audience to an intimate French bar where her voice is like red wine for the soul…By all means take another sip and savour the experience.