Live Review: Cass McCombs, Melody Nelson

If you loved this year's line-up for Laneway festival but couldn't get to one of the actual shows then the sideshows are always a good plan B (or A if you're not partial to the festival scene). In support for one of the acts was Melbourne's Melody Nelson (moniker of one Lia Tsamoglou), more or less in solo mode. It was a very stripped-back affair and despite the significant years of touring, supporting and playing solo in her own right, Nelson still can't shake that air of awkwardness. It's something that seems to endear her to the audience, as was the case on the night, and despite the reggae band next door sometimes drowning out the sound, it was an otherwise enjoyable set.
Every now and then you come across an artist who seems incapable of doing any wrong and who can control people with nothing but his wits, his guitar and his mind powers. The quietly spoken and uber cool Cass McCombs is one such dude, whose albums and songs are constantly lauded by critics and (more importantly) fellow artists alike, and this despite his strike rate going against the status quo – Wit's End and Humour Risk were both released in  2012 and last year's Big Wheel And Others was a double disc. The latter album's music featured heavily in the first half of a set that had the full complement of a backing band (including a goddamn lap steel) and the myth and mystery that surrounds Mr McCombs' background tends to come out in his live stuff – you know, the old-soul cool-man vibe, which definitely seemed to add depth to the complexity of his songs. His performance and that of his band, the audio engineer and the bar staff were flawless, with no dud tunes, and some of many highlights included the newish rumbling, diesel-fueled Big Wheel (cue dancing) and a super slow version of County Line (cue head nodding), and Prima Donna (cue next beer). There was also cracking versions of Angel Blood and Morning Star. Saying the audience enjoyed it as much as this writer is an understatement.