The second night of the eight night GigHouse series, the Cremorne theatre at the Queensland Performing Arts Complex (QPAC) held host to two of Brisbane’s most talented emerging singer-songwriters in the form of Chris Pickering and Bobby Flynn.
Arriving outside QPAC in the cultural centre forecourt, punters lining up were welcomed by the sounds of the acoustic guitar and vocals of Gavin Ingham emanating from a balcony two stories above. A tough job playing to an audience that was mostly out of site, nonetheless, Gavin managed to keep the lineup of people and those gathered in the foyer entertained with his self written pub-style and sometimes rootsy tunes.
Inside, a large crowd (the gig was a sellout) gathered, made up of a good dose of 20-somethings, kids, mums and dads, and a few left over Australian Idol fanatics. It definately made for an interesting, but relaxing atmosphere. Fitting for what seemed like a bit of a family affair, the organisers provided a sausage sizzle on the balcony. As some tucked into the food on offer, others took the opportunity to get a prime seat in the theatre’s upstairs balcony. Those that wanted to get a little closer to the bands opted for standing positions down at stage level.
Since leaving his drumkit and band The Boat People behind to take to the front of the stage with his own alt-country music, Chris Pickering has made a name for himself in a short space of time. With his third solo disc released in 2006, an EP entitled Ghost City, and a full length album due out soon, Chris has proven himself to be a prolific songwriter. For those of us that hadn’t seen him live as of yet, tonight would let us know if his evocative recordings would be brought to life, and done justice on stage.
Without much notice, Chris, dressed slickly in black country-style attire, hit the stage with his 3-piece band, opening with the song The Chase. The crowd quickly took notice, hurrying in from the foyer, and realised that they were in for quite a special performance. The alt. country style that he brings to the stage doesn’t fit any clichéd mold, and appeals to a much wider audience- base than a lot of other acts that would be placed in the same genre. Despite being able to hold his own as a solo performer on stage, the addition of top quality backing musicians like pedal-steel guitar virtuoso Michael Flanders definitely brought an air of class and that complete country sound.
For his next few songs, Chris was joined on stage by backing vocalist Thali Gould, adding yet another sweet layer to the show. Better Off and Wonders were highlights, before Chris took things down a notch with the laid back Rattle. Some of the crowd (probably those waiting for Bobby) became a little restless with these gentler songs. Perhaps a Tamworth crowd may have been more attentive, but this is in no means a criticism of what are A-grade songs.
Chris recaptured the attention of those in the audience who had become a little distracted with the title track from his 2005 EP Hard to Find. With the band leaving him to his lonesome on stage, Chris performed a wonderful rendition of All or Nothing and showed off his finger-picking prowess.
Finishing up with a few rockier tunes, Save your Breath, and Nobody, Chris showed that he is versatile in his style. The band members did, however, look a little awkward on stage when the style shifted from that of country. The only criticism that could be made of Chris’s show is that perhaps he lost the audiences attention with too many changes in style and tempo.
An accomplished drummer, finger-picking guitarist, singer and also pretty handy on the harmonica, Chris Pickering’s musical ability and song writing skills, as well as stage presence all go to forming an exciting performer. We wait eagerly for his new album in 2007.
A brief break, and a change of stage equipment, the runaway success that is Bobby Flynn and his band the Omega 3 were next up on stage. The addition of two fake Greek pillars as props on stage seemed to take the majority of the roadies time to setup. Somewhat bemusing, but perhaps the band had just decided to have some fun and raid the QPAC prop room?
Having been away for the whole Australian Idol series this year, I was lucky enough that my opinion of Bobby’s music hadn’t been affected (or tainted?) by the hype that surrounds the TV series. I have, however, been lucky enough to see Bobby perform live before, and was looking forward to seeing if the passion and talents that had impressed me in the past were going to be on show tonight.
The act opened with the spotlight on the talented guitarist Zac Armytage, strumming a solo of psychadelic, distorted and warped harmonics. The man most of the crowd had been waiting for, Bobby Flynn, joined his band on stage to a fairly amazing ovation, kicking straight into their opening song Come Get Away. With a beaming smile, Bobby and his band, all snappily dressed in jackets and ties (we’ll excuse the sandals and bare feet), pulled off an amazing first song. The laid back and jazzy sounds of Take me by the hand followed, immersing the audience.
Upping the tempo, and showing off the talents of the two percussionists, Out of the Blue got both Bobby and the whole crowd dancing to an almost African rhythm. The pace slowed as Bobby continued to impress with the sweetness of his voice. Swapping to a purely instrumental piece, Timeless Now, and despite a slight a mishap with a guitar lead, both Bobby and all of his band members demonstrated how accomplished they are as musicians.
Eventually, with the song that a lot of the crowd had been waiting for, and the song that won Australia’s hearts during the Idol series, Bobby performed his rendition of The Church’s hit Under the Milky Way. Another performance of this song that the composers Steve Kilbey and Karin Jansson surely would have been proud of.
The great songs continued, with Heart Attack and The Boy Had Trouble definite highlights. Bobby and band then performed an aptly named song Kindly Go the Talents, as each of the band members left the stage one by one, leaving only Zac and Bobby dueling on their guitars with some of the same sounds that had started the show.
An encore was never in doubt, and Bobby didn’t disappoint with two last songs. Dropping his axe and suit jacket, Bobby danced across the stage and performed yet another crowd pleaser with Rick James’s Super Freak, before following it up with a much tamer Any Means.
Leaving the venue, I didn’t see any disappointed faces, and by the size of the lineups at the merchandise desk, i’d say both Bobby and Chris won themselves some new or at least solidified their fanbase. The Cremorne theatre proved itself to be a great live music venue, with good sound and lighting, comfortable for the patrons, and a fairly well organised event. If the rest of the GigHouse series is like tonight’s performance, it should be a great success. I’m definitely looking forward to catching a few more of the shows.
