Live Review: Scott Russo, Phil Jamieson

Phil Jamieson graced the stage in a dapper silver suit and, with his ever-genial disposition, he set the theme of a ‘Christmas double-header’ by wishing the audience a “Merry fucking Christmas”.

A set of pared-back acoustic tracks from Grinspoon’s back catalogue was an unexpected delivery from a solo Phil Jamieson. Classics like Sweet As Sugar, Just Ace and More Than You Are didn’t translate acoustically from the amped-up, hardcore tone of the original tracks. As Jamieson hit the chorus in Just Ace – “Living in another space” is spot on. The venue felt like a town out in the boonies with some guy just providing background music. A sea of plaid shirts seemed confused by the energy, knowing all the words but too self-conscious to sing along with this unfamiliar tone changing some of their favourites. Jamieson ratified the ticket price however with Better Off Alone, the red light beaming off his harmonica rack making him seem reminiscent of that brace-faced acne teen that everyone can relate to.

Scott Russo followed suit, playing all familiar tracks from his stint fronting pop-punk band Unwritten Law, his time on this Australian tour clearly giving him the confidence to be facetious with the crowd as he showed his gratitude by wishing he could “finger bash everyone of you”. Up All Night sounded magic as the cigarette romance of the early 2000s was made ever more real by the smell of popcorn coming from the bar.

Russo and Jamieson finally played together, most memorably Black Friday, for which a humble Russo tried to remain in the dark, and an all-in ballad in Elva, which had the crowd embracing one another and singing back to the dynamic duo. The pair had a brotherly chemistry and bounced off one another easily. However this would have made the collaboration more entertaining if it was been the case throughout rather than with the laboured tag-in, tag-out and then play together run of the show.