William CrightonTrio Code Chroma warm up Shebeen Bandroom's audience with their space-folk, alt-pop sounds. They don't need much to command the space - just an acoustic and electric guitar, and two vocalists. Singer, Kate Lucas, has jazzy vocals and the audience hangs on every lyric. Their newest member Natalie Lewis' backing vocals blend beautifully.
John Flanagan plays with a full band tonight, adding a drummer to his line-up, and the instrumentation is richly textured. The audience gets lost within the double bass lines, dynamic drum rhythms, mandolin solos, acoustic guitar riffs and occasional banjo melody. Despite the full nature of this band's sound, Flanagan's vocal never gets drowned out. His performance is a mix of James Taylor's tone and Paul Kelly's delivery. Final track If We Got The Love gets the room dancing and singing along.
Two-thirds of The Basics, Tim & Kris, sneak onto the line-up. They get off to a shaky start - Tim Heath starts to sing the opening track a second time and Kris Schroeder needs someone to hold the lyrics up so that he can sing a Neil Young cover. The pair keeps the crowd entertained during the fumbles between each song. There is an ease to their stage presence; it's as though their home is up among the amps and microphone stands, under the stage lighting. Despite being one member down, Tim & Kris' set packs a punch, giving the night a dose of alternative Aussie rock.
A full band, including Crowded House drummer Matt Sherrod, supports William Crighton as he launches his debut album. From the minute he steps on stage, Crighton has the crowd engaged. His voice is a powerful baritone with a husky quality. There's a spoken word element to his performance. Crighton speaks verses - his Australian accent poking through - while he spins stories about growing up in Australia. Crighton has a slightly aggressive stage presence. When not singing, he looks as though he's glaring across the bar and his movements are jerky and manic, much like Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil.
The six-piece band looks crowded on Shebeen Bandroom's small stage. Along with his commanding vocals, Crighton is an accomplished blues guitarist. When taking his solos, Crighton steps up to the foldback speakers as if he wants to stand among the crowd. It's never long before the microphone calls him back to centre stage, though. The audience loves Crighton's mix of blues, folk-rock and country. Popular songs include Woman Like You, Priest, On My Way (a song inspired by the ANZACs) and Dig Your Mind.
Crighton is a captivating songwriter with a manic, electric stage presence. It will be interesting to see where his music takes him next.
