Phil JamiesonIt was a cold Sunday afternoon but the room was starting to fill with anticipation for the night ahead. Phil Jamieson usually chooses local acts to open for him who compliment his style in his solo mode so it was interesting to see who he would choose tonight. His name was Mike Nayar and, armed with an acoustic guitar, he opened with an original song, Misfits, and stunned many with his beautiful voice. He played a few covers but mainly his original work before ending his set with a tune titled Carry On.
The crowd was getting bigger and people were crowding the stage waiting for Phil Jamieson. There were a few familiar faces in the crowd — long-time fans of Grinspoon. He soon came out and opened the set with a gorgeous version of Sweet As Sugar. However, it wasn't until his third song, Black Tattoo, that the crowd really started getting into the rhythm of the evening. Repeat, Better Off Alone, No Reason and Black Friday were among the favourites, with everyone singing as loudly as they could before Jamieson launched into a cover of Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans. He toasted the crowd with a glass of nothing less than Jameson's and commented that everyone was very close to the stage. He finished his set with More Than You Are, Just Ace and 1000 Miles, reminding everyone present just how great Jamieson really is and leaving everyone feeling nostalgic for Grinspoon. At the very least, Jamieson knows that if (when) Grinspoon are ready, we won't call it a 'comeback' as that's hardly what it is if you've never gone in the first place. And we'll all be there screaming the lyrics to all of their songs.
