Live Review: Harts, Mary Handsome, The Iron Eye

An eager audience welcomes fusion master Darren Hart to The Zoo on Friday night for the Brisbane leg of his Power Australian tour.

Keenly awaiting Harts’ arrival at 11pm, the crowd’s energy builds from strength to strength, aided by drink and the anthemic, emotionally charged rock of The Iron Eye and grungy abandon of Mary Handsome. Having only recently been introduced to Harts’ music, and having come across various, markedly complimentary reviews of his performances, this reviewer wants to find out whether Harts will live up to the reputation increasingly being afforded to him. His showcase of his abilities and artistry certainly does not disappoint, as he dazzles fans in a blaze of virtuosic glory.

Harts’ entrance on stage is heralded by a funky, improvisational instrumental from his band members, setting the ambience for what was to come. He takes position before the audience, oozing cool and confidence, clad in a tailored blue jacket and paisley button-up shirt, wielding an electric guitar with the print of a blue-and-red peacock feather. Harts effortlessly makes his way through fan-favourites from his 2014 release Daydreamer and hot-off-the-press second album Smoke Fire Hope Desire. It's heartening to see the crowd grooving to the beat, and their dedication as they sing along word for word to his songs, some of which have only been released within the past fortnight. Harts presents himself as multi-talented musician on vocals, guitar and synth who is not afraid to forgo the use of lyrics (and the structure and security they give) and let the music speak for itself. 

Each song spills fluidly into the next, broken only by messages of thanks and “are you guys ready to funk?”. He leads his band through ecstasy-filled jam sessions which seem to take hold of him — mind, body and soul. What's more, Harts’ performance allows his fans to experience the melding of his self- and performance identities. In between the bobbing of his curly black hair and the sensual thrusts of hips, his smooth vocal tone entices the audience to want more. His facial expressions twist playfully with the onomatopoeic inflections of his guitar, as his fingers work furiously to milk the energy out of each phrase and feed it to hungry fans.

Performing lead single Power as the final song before the encore, Harts yells into the crowd, “This is what you came for!” and, with no exaggeration, proceeds to shred. He turns around and lifts his guitar behind his head, playing backwards with hands facing the audience. Eyes go wide, mouths gape open — this is the kind of thing seen in movies, not for $20 in an inner-city, rum-and-coke-soaked bar. It is spellbinding. By the closing songs, the pit has turned into a disco-esque dancefloor with those in the back breaking ranks to let loose and get down. All that is missing is a disco ball.

Harts’ gift is that he has breathed life into classic styles and carried them into the 21st century by marrying them with new sounds and a new voice. He pushes his guitar to its limitations, and his use of synth and sound mixing produces numbers that make it impossible not to get up and dance. Harts has received nods from tastemakers across the industry and praise from listeners at home and abroad — and you know what? He deserves every little bit of it.