Dope Lemon ProfileThe temptation to dive straight into a barrage of citrus puns is too much to resist when trying to describe Dope Lemon’s Perth show at the Astor Theatre as a part of Angus Stone's national tour; it was tangy and full of zest, not being sour at all.
The concert truly ripened into something spectacular, with supports The Money War traipsing through their set with some enjoyable, ethereal, retro-esque rock. With the smell of cheap booze and marijuana wafting across the venue, this gig had it all. It was the debut gig for The Money War, citing that they were newcomers; this explained why they weren’t recognisable at first. It felt initially that Stone had brought them from over east, but in fact its members were part of a local staple, and an impressive one at that — Rainy Day Women. Dreamy and slowly undulating with a consistent guitar rhythm and a swinging lead, the band came into its own when the soothing, reverbed vocals of Carmen Pepper emanated from the stage and echoed throughout the Astor to the pleasurable location of the Punter’s ears.
It was a longish, anticipatory wait for the great lemon to arrive — Dope Lemon, that is. Consisting of a motley crew of musicians from differing walks of Stone’s life, the set felt like one massive jam sesh. Stone often says in interviews many of his tracks on the Honey Bones record came from large jam recordings whilst on tour — so it is really no surprise there is parallel between the two when he plays his music live.
Never one to talk too much, though not overly shy either, Stone merely only said what was needed and ultimately just tended to his carefully crafted guitar solos for the rest of the night. It was at this point of the set where a small but enthusiastic clique of guys started lighting doobies from behind. A fun way to make the gig lit, but spreading the holy smell of the wacky 'backy had mixed reactions from the crowd. At least it added to the looseness of Stone’s set.
The crowd exploded into fervour when Uptown Folks began to be played, with many punters jumping onto other punters' shoulders and dancing as if they were an extra in a '60s Batman episode. Finishing up on a hefty slice of an encore, Stone continued to meander away on his guitar, thanking the crowd and band for coming and playing his sweet tunes.
