Live Review: Kev Carmody

Hundreds of fans filed into the freshly revamped Chevron Festival Gardens to see Aboriginal singer-songwriter Kev Carmody on his first tour in eight years, bringing with him his unique method of storytelling and lyrical prowess.

The night kicked off with a very special screening of Songman, a documentary detailing Carmody's enthralling philosophy on songwriting. The short film explored Carmody's peculiarly brilliant process of ditching traditional instruments and finding remarkable music in the seemingly mundane, such as blocks of wood, empty cans and even chickens. Interviews with collaborators Missy Higgins, Paul Kelly and Dan Sultan were interspersed in between clips, each musician singing greater praise for the man than the last.

Carmody emerged from backstage to a massive cheer from the crowd. After apologising for some technical difficulties, he launched straight into his first song of the night, Thou Shalt Not Steal. This powerful song took aim at the hypocrisy of bible-thumping settlers, who preached about living a virtuous life while subjecting Indigenous Australians to horrifying acts of violence.

Carmody's set was intimate and extremely personal. Stand out track of the night, Needles In The Nursery, commented on the social engineering of human minds that starts right from birth. The audience sat in stunned silence, mesmerised by the song's bold message.

The stage's setup of nothing but a stool and acoustic guitar was rather simple compared to the carnival rides, dazzling lights and obnoxious techno blasting in the venue's surroundings. And yet, Kev Carmody managed to hold the audience's attention effortlessly. Each song was accompanied by its fascinating origin story, with Carmody's unrivalled way with words transporting fans right into his own shoes, seeing what he saw at the time.

It takes a special kind of performer to keep an entire audience in the palm of their hand with nothing but a guitar and a story to tell. It's safe to say that everyone who witnessed tonight's performance left hoping that they won't have to wait another eight years to experience this all over again.