John ButlerIf you’re a music fan, the chances are very good you’ve seen your favourite artists forced to scale back their live sets due to an imposing curfew.
Perhaps they’re getting close to playing their biggest hit, but as a hard out at 11pm looms, they axe it, leaving all and sundry disappointed? Or maybe they pull a Noel Gallagher, and attempt to power through, only to have the microphone cut to avoid a $250,000 fine?
Or perhaps they do what John Butler did last week, and take to the streets to keep the vibe going?
Indeed, Butler found himself in Barcelona last week, performing at Sala Apolo where a 16-song set would have been followed by a three-song encore.
However, after playing through 2003’s Zebra to close the main set, Butler and his band found themselves faced with a conundrum.
“We were going to do three songs for our encore, but we only have time for one,” he explained. “So I know a lot of you would like to hear Peaches & Cream, but I think even more of you will want to hear Funky Tonight.
“Here’s the deal,” he continued. “20 minutes from the time we finish onstage, make it 25. When we finish, 25 minutes later, I'm going to go outside and sing Peaches & Cream acoustically on the sidewalk. And all you have to do is be cool, just be cool, because everybody I work with will be like, 'Aw, fuck'.”
True to his word, Butler continued his set by wrapping up with Funky Tonight before heading outside to the streets of Barcelona. Armed only with his acoustic guitar, he offered a truly stellar rendition of Peaches & Cream, complete with a ravenous crowd sitting on the sidewalk, singing along to every word of the 2004 track.
“What do you do when you can’t play as long as you’d like?” Butler asked, “Busk.”
Butler has currently been out on tour in support of his latest album, 2025’s Prism, which became his highest-charting solo release when it peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA chart.
