Jeremy Neale plays many roles: frontman of Brisbane 12-piece Velociraptor, refined solo act, amicable conversationalist, and in-house after party DJ.
He’s a complete package, something that was clearly evident at the first leg of his “Stranger Times” single tour.
In support of his Melbourne show was local foursome The Laughing Leaves with a gritty and nostalgic set filled with melodious, rolling riffs and loads of potential.
Bringing to mind acts like The Violent Femmes, The Kinks et al. The Leaves rose to a new level when lead guitarist Lachlan Baulch took over the vocals. Wailing like a crazy man about to explode, his performance was particularly captivating, helped along by strong synergy between all members of the band.
Cleaner pop-rock was provided by honed performers Dirt Farmer, sampling a variety of country, tropical and psychedelic influences. The charismatic Chris Wright brought the power bass to the forefront, with a sweetness formed by frontman Stuart Barlow’s high nasal vocals.
Jeremy Neale was his usual endearing self when his band took to the stage in matching burgundy blazers. He caressed the crowd to attention, asking for their help in naming the band – “Jeremy Neale And The Ray Martins” was decided on for this particular evening.
Neale’s solo music is more subdued and refined than his work in Velociraptor. While still catchy and containing similar ingredients (though certainly less volume), there’s a more personal and vulnerable tone to this work that carries a 60s aesthetic.
His set was made up of tracks that have each been given individual attention as separate digital releases as well as some newer material including a ballad that he opened up to the crowd for evaluation. The general consensus was in favour, though it could have benefited from a softer beginning in the vocals, allowing him to crescendo into something big and showcase more subtlety.
After the vocal gymnastics and warm crooning of “Darlin’,” Neale encountered a broken string on his guitar. In the short confusion and then wait as The Laughing Leaves came to the rescue, the rest of his band snapped straight into action, breaking into a bass-driven freestyle jam to the grateful whoops of the audience.
This incident was an accidental but fitting introduction to Neale’s most popular and catchy single “A Love Affair To Keep You There.” Drawn out that little bit longer with its seductive beginning strums, the song’s sense of yearning hit a climactic point with its thundering, fuzzed out guitar solo.
The set ended with the tour single “In Stranger Times,” a track that would normally include backing vocals from Brisbane four-piece Go Violets. Nonetheless, the group as it was gave the track due justice, leaving the crowd wanting more – though there was quite possibly no more original material for Neale to give.
Not long after the set was over, Neale headed to the sound deck, putting on Outkast’s “Hey Ya” as promised earlier on in the night in preparation for an after-set dance party.
Such a casual conclusion was by no means symbolic of the quality of Neale’s performance. If you thought the singer was doing well in his other exploits, his solo work is proof that he is not just a frontman or musician, but an artist with big things on the horizon.
