Xavier Rudd - Adelaide, 22nd August 2012
Words: Jo Taylor
Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Ruddʼs Thebarton Theatre performance was greeted by a large enthusiastic Adelaide audience on a mild spring Saturday night. Whilst waiting for him to appear, the crowd let him know they were ready with rapturous applause and stomping of the floorboards, which usually is reserved for the obligatory noise of encore demands.
Finally the lights dimmed and Xavier Rudd hit the stage. He climbed behind the large set of drums, complete with Didgeridoo to open the night with the hypnotic Lioness Eye. The rich Didgeridoo coupled with a driving drum beat got the crowd warmed up and it was hard to keep still. Dramatic lighting which flashed red, black and yellow with each beat added to the electric atmosphere.
This was followed by well-known single, the gorgeous Fortune Teller which kept energy levels high. Something that immediately becomes apparent is that Xavier Rudd loves what he does and heʼs damn good at what he does! Whether juggling Drums, Didgeridoo and singing or guitar, didgeridoo and harmonica. He takes multi-tasking to a whole new level and watching his performance live, you have to have respect for this incredibly hard-working musician.
Slide guitar featured next for Creating A Dream. Showing the simpler, striped back side of his performance before getting the crowd dancing again with the reggae beats of Come Let Go. Rudd really triggers a unity in his fan-base, maybe helped by beer (And is that some Adelaide green wafting through the air?) But plenty of intermingling dancing between random strangers was taking place.
Politically motivated Bow Down from his latest release Spirit Bird and Chant from 2007 album White Moth were both highlights with their thoughtful lyrics and infectious beats. Ten years ago he released his first studio album To Let and 7 albums later, he has a highly devoted and loving fan-base and once you witness him live, you understand why.
Finally the lights dimmed and Xavier Rudd hit the stage. He climbed behind the large set of drums, complete with Didgeridoo to open the night with the hypnotic Lioness Eye. The rich Didgeridoo coupled with a driving drum beat got the crowd warmed up and it was hard to keep still. Dramatic lighting which flashed red, black and yellow with each beat added to the electric atmosphere.
This was followed by well-known single, the gorgeous Fortune Teller which kept energy levels high. Something that immediately becomes apparent is that Xavier Rudd loves what he does and heʼs damn good at what he does! Whether juggling Drums, Didgeridoo and singing or guitar, didgeridoo and harmonica. He takes multi-tasking to a whole new level and watching his performance live, you have to have respect for this incredibly hard-working musician.
Slide guitar featured next for Creating A Dream. Showing the simpler, striped back side of his performance before getting the crowd dancing again with the reggae beats of Come Let Go. Rudd really triggers a unity in his fan-base, maybe helped by beer (And is that some Adelaide green wafting through the air?) But plenty of intermingling dancing between random strangers was taking place.
Politically motivated Bow Down from his latest release Spirit Bird and Chant from 2007 album White Moth were both highlights with their thoughtful lyrics and infectious beats. Ten years ago he released his first studio album To Let and 7 albums later, he has a highly devoted and loving fan-base and once you witness him live, you understand why.
Follow The Sun also off the new album with layerings of harmonica and guitar was gorgeous and highlighted his vocal ability. Time To Smileʼs rhythm again had the crowd dancing as with the soulful acoustic melody Messages.
Throughout his entire performance he bows with appreciation to his audience. It’s this humble persona that resonates with the crowd and makes the whole atmosphere. One of community. For someone who lets his music do most of the talking, his connection with the crowd was great.
Soften The Blow was a gentle quiet moment of the night before crowd favourite Let Me Be. With roots driven guitar and beautiful harmonising from the audience, it was a simple but magical moment in the night and shows that the strength of a good song doesn’t need to be complicated with lots of layering, just a simple beat can be enough.
Bob Marley cover Buffalo Soldier was always going to be a hit with this crowd and it had the desired effect. He mastered the cover with his own style injected and fitted well with the night.
Culture Bleeding closed the night with the same dramatic and electrifying atmosphere that opened the night. He has mastered the Didgeridoo and drums as an impressive art form and is what makes his performance standout against so many other musicians.
Xavier Rudd is a must see. Purely to see a creative force incorporating true Australian culture into music with such skill and originality is alone reason enough. But his shows are a fine balance between fun, rhythm, political awareness and community. With some kick ass tunes. And that’s the main thing.
Throughout his entire performance he bows with appreciation to his audience. It’s this humble persona that resonates with the crowd and makes the whole atmosphere. One of community. For someone who lets his music do most of the talking, his connection with the crowd was great.
Soften The Blow was a gentle quiet moment of the night before crowd favourite Let Me Be. With roots driven guitar and beautiful harmonising from the audience, it was a simple but magical moment in the night and shows that the strength of a good song doesn’t need to be complicated with lots of layering, just a simple beat can be enough.
Bob Marley cover Buffalo Soldier was always going to be a hit with this crowd and it had the desired effect. He mastered the cover with his own style injected and fitted well with the night.
Culture Bleeding closed the night with the same dramatic and electrifying atmosphere that opened the night. He has mastered the Didgeridoo and drums as an impressive art form and is what makes his performance standout against so many other musicians.
Xavier Rudd is a must see. Purely to see a creative force incorporating true Australian culture into music with such skill and originality is alone reason enough. But his shows are a fine balance between fun, rhythm, political awareness and community. With some kick ass tunes. And that’s the main thing.