Live Review: Tex Perkins & Charlie Owen

The unsuspecting baritone of Sean Simmons makes The Spoils Duo a magnetic start to the evening. Along with fellow multi-instrumentalist Bronwyn Henderson, the two begin their set tightly but things quickly go awry. When technical difficulties and pauses arise, Simmons becomes visibly flustered and struggles to keep the flow of the set in tact. Sprawls of droll talk cut through the dark folk tunes and create an overwhelming sense of disjoint, quickly losing the full attention of the audience. However, the powerful harmonies and clever musicianship in tracks like Happiness and Goodnight Victoria save the pair from an otherwise forgettable performance.

Tex Perkins & Charlie Owen strut on stage like the coolest uncles around. Kicking off the evening with favourites such as The Dark Horses' So Much Older and Whenever It Snows (which the pair wrote and recorded with Cold Chisel pianist Don Walker), the duo hit all the right notes of suave charm but manage to avoid the schmooze.

Perkins' lyrics have a way of automatically resonating in his audience, wherever he is. Tonight, it's the references to dunnies and cane toads that gets the crowd loosened up and ready for Perkins' signature humour. The Cruel Sea frontman quips and plays like the seasoned master he is, in perfect form even when Northcote Social Club's tech issues interrupt at various points throughout the evening. While Perkins plays a chiselled jester, Owen sits back with guitar in hand, endearingly shaking his head with a chuckle at what he is witnessing. He is the embodiment of the crowd itself on the stage, and they love it.

The boys take no breath and continue into the night, missing no beats and leaving no lulls in the proceedings. Perkins hits the crowd with surprising bouts of falsetto, while Owen creates an atmospheric masterpiece with his mastered musicianship — the expertly delivered Postcard From Elvis showcasing both. With a string of covers thrown in, including Townes Van Zandt's Kathleen and the much-covered Leon Payne classic Psycho, the pair make every moment their own.

As midnight draws closer, Perkins and Owen grasp any remaining scepticism and squash it with their suave demeanours. A rare performance of The McCoys' Sorrow delights the diehard fans, and The Dark Horses classic A Name On Every One sombrely closes the evening while still managing to leave a smile on every face.

The cool type of funny and the funny type of cool, Perkins and Owens know how to perfect a Sunday night.