Project Description
JOHN BUTLER TRIO
+ The Teskey Brothers
+ Stella Donnelly
@ Brisbane Riverstage
22/02/19
(Live Review)
Reviewer: Tammy Whitelaw
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With the threat of Cyclone Oma looming off the QLD coast line all week, there was serious potential for John Butler Trio’s show at the Riverstage to be a complete washout. Thankfully, Oma moved away from shore and left us with a perfectly dry Friday night outdoor gig.
Sadly, I miss the start of Perth artist Stella Donnelly’s set, which I’m totally bummed about as she is one artist at the moment I’m always excited to see live. I get there just in time to hear her fantastic cover of Kylie Minogue’s I Believe in You. So, really, I can’t be too upset.
Stella has an absolutely charming stage presence – she’s incredibly funny and has a real knack for storytelling, showcased perfectly in Boys will be Boys. To think she recorded her EP Thrush Metal on a $100 guitar and only expected to sell 30 cassettes, to now supporting one of Australia’s biggest artists is a real accomplishment. I’m putting bets on her debut album Beware of the Dogs (out March 8) making it onto quite a few end of year ‘Best Of’ Lists.
Melbourne 4 piece, The Teskey Brothers are up next with their own brand of soul music. Lead singer, Josh is clearly inspired by soul greats like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke with his husky vocals. These guys have absolutely skyrocketed since the release of their 2017 album Half Mile Harvest. Even getting the tick of approval from Thor himself (Chris Hemsworth).
The band’s smooth sound has the crowd swaying and as I close my eyes during Say You’ll Do I find myself transported to a blues bar in Memphis. Then, just to prove they’re not just some 12-bar blues band, they hit us with some pure rock’n’roll in the form of Black Sabbath’s War Kids. The guys finish off with their cracking new single, Right for me. Giving us hope that we’re likely to hear more new music from the band in 2019. I can’t wait.
John Butler has always been known not only as a musician, but as an activist, especially when it comes to environmental issues. Before beginning his performance tonight, John offers up the stage to a representative from the Wangan Jagalingou people who are fighting to protect the Galilee Basin in central Queensland against Adani. The audience is encouraged to use their voice and vote to oppose the coal mine. The platform John gives to these causes at a show like this would be invaluable to groups like these.
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Now the music begins. John walks onto stage taking a seat with his slide guitar. Backed by a trio of percussionists, John breaks into new tracks Wade in the Water and Tahitian Blue before bringing out the banjo for Better Than. Long-time fans in the crowd go wild for tracks Betterman, Pickapart and a soaring solo performance of Ocean – a song which has been a staple of John’s live set since his old busking days in Fremantle. The 12-minute instrumental is an almost spiritual experience live, showcasing John’s incredible talent on the guitar, before the band returns for a thumping version of Ragged Man.
John recounts the first time he played the Riverstage as the support act for Powderfinger, thinking “What lucky pricks. I’d love to do that one day”. Fast forward 15 years later and the crowd tonight is all his. “It means so much to me that you’re all here” he exclaims.
I’ve formed this terrible habit lately where I look at recent setlists online before I see a show. I do it to get an idea of what I’m going to hear for the night. I really need to stop doing this. All it does is totally remove the element of surprise that comes along with seeing a live show. John gets me tonight though as he blasts into Used to Get High, a track noticeably absent from some of his recent shows.
Introducing the track Home, John shares how lonely it gets on the road touring for months on end. Finding himself in a motel room in Omaha, Nebraska (the kind with the technicolour puke-stained carpet) watching Alaskan Truckers, just wishing he could be home with his family.
The set ends perfectly with the track We Want More. To which I say “Yes, John, of course we want more!” Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long considering the strict 10pm Riverstage curfew is closing in.
Back on stage for the encore, John busts into a foot-stomping performance of Funky Tonight followed by the mega hit Zebra, leaving the crowd dancing into their weekend.
Check out Matt Young’s gallery of the show here
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