The Northcote bandroom was packed out early with a bevy of Kid Sam lovers lining the stage, eagerly awaiting the delights of Kieran and Kishore Ryan. First on the bill were a little known act called Seagull, another band that Kishore happens to do percussion for. Seagull is the baby of Christopher Bolton who seems to have a fondness for long, drawn out, experimental noise. Arriving in time to catch the last 15 minutes of their set turned out to be a good thing, as Bolton has one of the most awful voices I have ever heard. Think fingernails down a chalk board. I’m in two minds about Seagull. On one hand, they have some pretty songs, with interesting arrangements; on the other, the few times I’ve seen them live, including tonight’s lacklustre performance, they had little stage presence and Bolton’s meagre vocal offerings ruined what was otherwise good music.
Next on the line-up was Mick Turner of Dirty Three fame. Mick is, of course, a gifted musician who pays great attention to detail when piecing together a song. His set was purely instrumental with soft delicate arrangements that were like lullabies with an alt-country twist. The die-hard fans in the room were very impressed with his set, however there’s only so much art one can appreciate in a forty minute show and by the time it was over, it seemed like he’d played one very long sleepy tune that wasn’t particularly entertaining to watch.
thank the lord for Kid Sam who blew the support acts out of the water with a powerful, intimate set. The show began with the airing of the video for their new single “We‘re Mostly Made of Water” before Kieran took to the stage and silenced the crowd with his captivating voice. Kid Sam put on a phenomenal show, joined on guitar by Chris Bolton, the three of them whipped up a massive wall of sound that was enhanced by Kieran’s fantastic vocals. Kieran is a real troubadour, and his voice is better live than in their recorded work. His clear, crisp vocals were delivered with a fire that is reminiscent of the great Paul Dempsey. Kid Sam write haunting, melodic tunes and perform with passion and intensity that belies their tender years. They whipped through a fantastic set including most of the songs from 2009’s Kid Sam LP, with a few newbies thrown into the mix and a killer version of “Down To The Cemetery”, their final song for the evening. Kid Sam are proving themselves to be one of Australia’s premier live acts, with consistently solid performances that are energetic and emotionally raw. Their music is heart-felt and written with a depth and maturity that most musicians can only dream of achieving, which makes for an engaging and fun live experience.
