Live Review: Xavier Rudd, Donavon Frankenreiter, Nahko And Medicine For The People

3 October 2013 | 11:11 am | Lukas Murphy

Rudd followed up with an encore of Spirit Bird, and an a cappella message of peace, love and equality, just to give everyone a bit of love to pass on to others.

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One would think that an outdoor event such this one would be safe, almost a whole month into springtime and even well and truly past the spring equinox, but the chilly and wet weather that has persisted thus far put an end to such an assumption. Sunday evening's show out in the courtyard of the Fremantle Arts Centre saw a persistent drizzle and many soaked patrons. While many people would be downtrodden and cantankerous about the weather and accordingly not enjoyed the show, this was certainly not the case with fans of Xavier Rudd and his talented friends. Rather, people amassed early on and relished the opportunity to dance in the rain.

The night began with Oregon-based acoustic thump-hop troupe, Nahko & Medicine For The People, who gave way to a very intimate performance by Donavon Frankenreiter, accompanied by his (usual) bassist, Matt Grundy, on this occasion playing acoustic guitar and harmonica. Frankenreiter's performance was heartwarming and made you smile, as he brought members of the crowd up to help him sing. Such a thing was certainly not out of place on the night, as the vibe that was going around was certainly one of peace and love. Frankenreiter brought up several people over the course of his set, and while the singing was not always quite in tune, it was still a wonderful thing to witness.

A short time after the second set of the night had finished, the main rigs were revealed from under their tarpaulins and blankets: two drum kits, numerous didgeridoos, Rudd's centre-stage seat and several depictions of the Australian Aboriginal flag. Behind, there were lit up images of the Australian landscape and its native flora and fauna. As the lights dimmed and the rain poured, sounds of kookaburras and other birdlife erupted from the PA system, and the masses responded in the same way when the man himself walked out to play. The bird sounds sunk back into the reverb and delay of Rudd's guitar, and with accompaniment from the Gold Coast's tropical cyclone, Bobby Alu, on drums, the set was underway. The set saw Rudd's patented lap-slide style of guitar playing and Alu's turbo-Latin-disco drumming cover a range of favourites, from Messages, to Food In The Belly and Let Me Be – all with drawn-out interludes and extended jams between the pair of performers, and separated by five- to ten-minute long drumming/didg solos for the punters to really dance to. The set eventually reached its summit in the final piece, where the distortion was kicked up, and the energy built until the final hit. Rudd followed up with an encore of Spirit Bird, and an a cappella message of peace, love and equality, just to give everyone a bit of love to pass on to others.