School night be damned, that wasn’t going to stop a bunch of punters to come along and check out some styled Aussie rock and roll tunes get cranked out. Both of the acts on the bill tonight have been critically recognised in the indigenous and mainstream music scene and both perform with an intensity and energy that befits such acclaim.
The night began with a small turnout for The Medics, once they started playing though their deep rumblings caused a few more bodies to enter into the room. I wasn’t familiar with their material so I’m not certain of which songs they played, though frontman Jhindu Lawrie made it clear most we were being treated to were new tracks off a forthcoming record. Lawrie’s vocals are interesting and have an almost whisper-like quality to the tone, whilst the band deliver nothing short of thunderous noise behind him. If these were any indication, this band look set to release another powerhouse recording soon.
The man of the hour was who the majority of the rebellious gig-goers had come to see. It’s plain to see why Dan Sultandraws a crowd (particularly comprising of women) with his attractive personality and rugged good looks. But you can’t win an audience on charisma alone and he has the musical chops and catchy songs to prove it.
Early into the set we were treated to his current two tracks ‘The Same Man’ (latest single) and earlier release ‘Under Your Skin’ from forthcoming record Blackbird. Both of these have a distinctly blues rock style feel with their grinding guitars and undulating bass lines. It’s no surprise really since Sultan went to Nashville to record his next LP so it’s good to see some of that rub off on his sound.
He does have a softer side to showcase in tracks like ‘Walk Through My Dream’ or ‘Your Love Is Like A Song’ which even though the sound is still lively, they feel lighter in weight. He never lets us slip too far from his amiable grasp though, telling us stories about life on tour of losing games of scrabble and the perils of the girl that got away and penning a song from it titled ‘Ain’t Thinking About You’. Though in his typical charming larrikin way, he chuckles it off by saying that “she’s probably spewing about it now” and I’d have to agree with him there, why would you let a guy like that go?
Crowd favourites ‘Crazy’ and ‘Letter’ both off Get Out While You Can got the audience shaking their groove thang and gyrating all over the place, particularly the latter with its relentless slide guitar and clap along chorus. But surprisingly it was his set closer ‘Kimberley Calling’ which gives Sultan a chance to show off his love for this great big brown land that we call home.
Sultan not only manages to command the crowd with his magnetism but he is a phenomenal guitarist to watch when he’s in full flight, along with his band who complement him in not only fervent energy but skill; they manage to put on an engaging performance that leaves the crowd appeased.
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