Factory Theatre, Sydney
Friday April 13, 2018 :
Arriving at the Factory in inner-city Marrickville, the vibe was a feeling of anticipation in the air for the many excited Xavier Rudd fans taking this rare opportunity to see him play such an intimate venue. The multi-instrumental Australian singer and songwriter is doing an exclusive Australian tour of similar small venues before setting out on a 2018 world tour to launch the release of Storm Boy, due out next month, his ninth studio album.
At a well-priced $65 ticket price, the show sold out in under an hour, and the packed venue buzzed with delighted fans. The stage boasted an impressive array of instruments for this accomplished multi-talented musician, including an elaborately miked yidaki (didgeridoo), blues harmonica, percussion, guitars and stomp box.
Rudd, in trademark bare feet enters the stage along a support band of accomplished musicians from around the globe (Fijian drummer, Ethiopian bassist), to open with the hauntingly beautiful ‘Creancient’. All eyes are glued on Rudd – like a kind of spiritual leader illuminated by the tranquil lighting, arms rising as he plays the didg, building up louder and louder, seeming to channel his Wurundjeri heritage as the crowd responds, clapping, dancing and totally loving it from the very first second.
He sits barefoot with slide guitar on lap for ‘Food in the Belly’, with the didg and harmonica part of an impressive array of instruments around him and surrounded by bass, keyboardist and drummer. The sound is rich and layered, the crowd delightedly engaging in call and response, next swaying and singing along to the reggae style rhythms of ‘Come Let Go’.
It is difficult to describe the feeling of connectedness in the room – Rudd intermittently speaks to the crowd with warm and powerful messages of social change, about loving all people regardless of who they are, of appreciating diversity, and every word is genuine and real. As he sings he looks around with a happy, beaming smile – band members who all seem to be having quite a lovely time – and why not, with such messages of peace, love, acceptance for all. There is a genuineness to the lyrics, he is a man who writes beautiful music and lives true to his beliefs.
‘Walk Away’, the single from the soon to be released Storm Boy had a soulful crowd singalong, and ‘Flags’ had everyone dancing and the band waving Aboriginal, Fijian and Ethiopian flags on stage. The tempo stayed upbeat with ‘Let Me Be’ and everyone singing at the top of their voices – there was quite a hoe-down happening up the back of the venue by this time! Then a quieter mood for ‘Follow the Sun’, followed by the uplifting ‘Lioness Eye’ – band members leave the stage and Rudd moves to his drum/percussion kit, backlit with rising light, for a spectacular display of simultaneous drumming and yidaki, switching to singing and back to didg again. Amazing.
The band returns for ‘Best that I Can’, and finally a solo Rudd with a haunting rendition of ‘Spirit Bird’ – the lyrics carrying a cry of pain as well as call for hope for Indigenous people. I left feeling fortunate to have been part of this musical experience.
Reviewer : Caitlin Martin
Photographer : Joshua South
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