Tex PerkinsEatons Hill Hotel brings a touch of class to proceedings tonight, filling the room with dining tables and seductively low lighting – it's quite the scene.
The very bearded and very dapper Karl S. Williams keeps this feeling of elegance alive as he takes the stage sporting a beautiful red blazer and black hat. You can barely hear him as he mumbles between songs, yet when he starts singing his smokey vocals come to life and are completely engaging, making everyone in the room stop and listen. He demonstrates his multi-instrumental prowess, switching from guitar to piano to banjo for each song, with Is This Love? acting as a particular standout of the set – his bold keys grab attention from the beginning and retain it as the song travels through different shades of emotion. He leaves the stage with a tip of his hat, showing he's every bit the gentlemen his appearance suggests.
Next up is Ben Salter, whom many may recognise as a member of either The Gin Club or Giants Of Science. Salter's is a set mixed with songs from his debut solo album, The Cat, as well as hits from his Gin Club days and some old school covers – Sam Cooke's Cupid (1961) and Bobby Darin's Dream Lover (1959). Armed with only a guitar, those tracks are stripped back, slowed down renditions which stay true to the structure of the originals, yet he manages to make them his own with his powerful vocals. Crowd favourite Wylde Bitch gets the crowd swaying and the fans singing; Salter's many years of experience makes his performance shine tonight as he delivers a thoroughly entertaining hour of music.
Tex Perkins now commands the stage with Dark Horses bandmates Charlie Owen on lap steel and keys, and Murray Paterson on box guitar and bass, and the trio waste no time in mesmerising the audience with tracks including Dark Ride (Dawn), Halo and Who Do You Think You Are? (You Can't). These introspective songs mark a distinct change from Perkins' wilder days, yet the sound suits the rock veteran, showcasing a softer, more mature side of his musicality. While the majority of the audience are enjoying Perkins' show for what it is, there's a portion of the crowd who evidently expect to hear some loud and raucous hits from his other bands, and are quite vocal in expressing their preferred setlist. For the most part, Perkins deals with these hecklers well – with a quick wit and comical approach – however, as the set wares on, he visibly becomes more frustrated, stating, “If one more person calls me 'Texy' I'll rip your fucking head off and shit down the hole!”. While the group do come back onstage for a brief two-song encore, Perkins finally and abruptly leaves the stage by saying “Go fuck yourselves,” to the crowd, leaving a lingering air of confusion and shame. It's disappointing that a wonderful night of music has been tainted by a small few who couldn't appreciate the efforts of these extremely talented musicians.
