Live Review: Wagons, Timothy Nelson & The Infidels, TJ O'Donovan

Local solo artist TJ O'Donovan warmed up a sizeable early crowd at the Fly By Night Club and retained their attention throughout with a brief but compelling set that rested mostly on folk and country tunes. Unquestionably the biggest show of his short career, O'Donovan provided ample points of interest with a stomp box, harmonica and loop pedal adding colour to catchy arrangements. Hope (It Ain't Hopeless) and Oceans epitomised his sentimental lyrical bent, while Cigarette Blues showed a less serious side that implied the obvious influence of tonight's headliner. It was a fine start from a musician with real promise.

Ratcheting up the tempo immediately were the polished sounds of Timothy Nelson & The Infidels. Led ably by Nelson's simply wonderful ear for melody – an attribute that's matched by a startlingly good vocal range – the band ran through a tight set that showcased a fair bit from their upcoming record. Obvious favourites like Talk and final track Mary Lou gained traction with an impressed crowd, but it was when the group slipped into their soul mode, as they did on their opener, that they really took off. Flourishes of violin were a masterstroke and the infectious grooves that the band laid down were irresistible. This is an outfit that is well-honed and supremely confident, and will be worth seeking out among the slew of shows that will accompany their album release.

And so, from one talented frontman to another, Wagons bounded on stage to raucous approval and head gunslinger Henry Wagons immediately set about putting his indelible mark on the evening. On their second show of a tour promoting the new album, Acid Rain And Sugar Cane, the band was having a sweet time taking songs from that record and unleashing them on an audience, with guitarist Richard Blaze a standout. There was enthusiasm and energy in spades, though those characteristics are something of a fait accompli in any Wagons show. Henry Wagons' between-song crowd interactions competed with, and at times upstaged, anything the band was doing, but that's not to say songs like Love Me Like I Love You and Why Do You Always Cry? aren't impressive in their own right. Rather, it's just that his individual performance is so charismatic. Retorts to one particular punter's comments were handled with no shortage of deftness and humour, and as he meandered off stage during the excellent Beer Barrel Bar to procure a few pints for his thirsty bandmates, he further endeared himself to an enraptured crowd.