Live Review: Tim Rogers & The Bamboos, Felicity Groom

The grizzly weather proved to be no match for the desires of fans of the funk, and Rosemount Hotel was fully stacked for the Perth gig of Tim Rogers & The Bamboos’ national tour to promote their new album, The Rules Of Attraction.

While the new album has been somewhat of a departure from earlier releases, which most notably contained a drum and bass-centric final mix, the new material gives the spotlight to vocalists and the result is perhaps a more accessible style.

The inimitable Felicity Groom took to the stage for support duties which, as usual, she performed with coolness, precision and flair. Groom is a modern artist in every sense, combining layers of inspiration from seemingly endless sources and her thoughtful, often dreamy instrumentals are a perfect match from her almost otherworldly voice. 

Groom’s slick voice drew the punters in from the cold in the hope of catching some of her creative warmth as she took us through some choice selections from her vast catalogue, providing a well paced, constant energy while reminding us what we all came to see; a whole smack of talent and a hearty helping of local creativity. 

Before anyone really expected, the time had arrived for Mr Rogers and the ever perfect Bamboos to make their way to the stage. While anyone who came for straight up and down funk from the old days may have left a little disappointed, the amazing new tangent that has been taken by pairing with Tim Rogers has created an entirely new and exciting beast.

Lashings of blues riffs and the outrageously emotive voice of Mr Rogers brings a real earthy, almost modern folk inspired, energy to the live performance. 

 Being a veteran of the Australian music scene, Rogers is an absolute pleasure to watch perform. His energy seems boundless and his interaction with his fellow musicians felt organic and real, while also making himself fully available to a room of his adoring fans. Being a sucker for a killer rhythm section, I was left with mouth agape witnessing the interplay between the funky drummer and the big footed bass player. Mechanical without any sense of the artificial, this outfit is a musical machine.                

Everyone loves to see Aussie bands and artists make good, and with the combination of one of Australia’s foremost institutions in the funk department and the musical brevity of one of its stalwart singers and songwriters, the potential for global success is not only imminent, but currently occurring. Even though there is a slight feeling that some compromise has been made in terms of style, there has been no compromise in quality or passion.

Originally published in X-Press Magazine