Live Review: John Butler

Get there early was the name of the game for John Butler Trio's gig at the Fly By Night Club in Freo. The queue outside the door already extending down the ramp an hour before the doors opened, with one of the neighbours heralding that “He'll sound great tonight! Heard him jamming in there for the last five days!”

Once inside punters quickly grabbed their drinks and found spots at the stage, on the benches at the side, and some even staked claims on a spot of floor a la outdoor festivals. It wasn't long to wait for Dom Miller (Brisbane's answer to Jack Black) to hit the stage. He plied euphonious songs like Centrelink, sharing the dilemma of his girlfriend making too much money for him to qualify for the dole, and thereby the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS). His wicked sense of humour dripping from each lyric, Dom took the crowd on a musical tour of his observations on the world.

After a short break, The John Butler Trio ambled on stage to massive cheers. He opened the show with Wings Are Wide, sharing the condensed version of what Rolling Stone published about it being in rememberence of his grandmother, who was the matriarch of his family and the cornerstone of his work. The songs alternated between new and old; in John's words, “just so we don't get you all pissed off!” With the crowd's great vibe right from walking in the door, that would never have happened. Grant Gerathy, the band's new drummer, not only paid great homage to the classics but showed he is also a force to be reckoned with on the kit. There were guitar changes for just about each song, and John made each and every one of them cry. Revolution, from the April Uprising album, was the next cab off the rank and the surreal sound of his playing entranced everyone. The journey continued, with inclusion of two solos, one from bassist Byron, and the other from John himself, in amongst the weaving of new songs from the upcoming Flesh & Blood album with old favourites like Better Than, Get Funky Tonight and Fire In The Sky, before finishing the show with How Do You Sleep At Night.