After a year-long absence from the Adelaide scene, almost to the day, Xavier Rudd was back in town with his politically motivated tunes. Joined by Hawaiian-born Nakho And Medicine For The People, and Californian Donovan Frankenreiter, the anticipation for the performance was almost tangible.
Lining the venue were an unusual assortment of hippie-inclined, dreadlocked and environmentally-aware punters from all age demographics. Children danced along the outskirts of the floor, under the watchful eye of elderly family members, while longhaired twenty-somethings swayed close together and teens sat cross-legged near the barriers.
With the room lit blindingly by primary colours, Nahko Parayno and his band wandered into the view of the WOMAD-bred crowd gathering before him. Dynamic in both appearance and style, Nakho And Medicine For The People swept the venue towards some place of revitalising familiarity.
Their wide tracks, founded on a thundering vibe, draw in a positivity that can only stem from the energetic brilliance of world music. Mixing tribal sounds with roots, folk, acoustics and a poetic kind of storytelling, Nahko and Medicine for the People’s departure was met with a bittersweet farewell from their newfound fans.
Donovan Frankenreiter was up next with his blistering summer folk, releasing the gathering into a blissed-out groove. The laid-back 70s surf-rock styling of his solo work resonated powerfully with the laid-back listeners. Themes of encouragement and freedom flooded his lyrics, building on the optimistic sunniness of the entire night.
“Move By Yourself” and “Heading Home” were clear favourites, seeing fans twirl wildly in semi-rhythm with the upbeat folksy melodies. “It Don’t Matter” closed his set, and saw Frankenreiter inviting a crowd-member onto the stage to help with the choral lines – an inspired addition to the show that seemed to leave the American musician in just as much a state of glee as the mass below.
The building excitement for Byron Bay resident Xavier Rudd reached a climax as he wandered casually into view. Zig-zagging through the relatively large assortment of instruments and musical apparatuses, Rudd sat down comfortably in front of an acoustic guitar and two didgeridoos.
With a dramatic start to the show, as blue light flushed out the stage and shadows covered the white screen behind, Rudd showed off his multi-instrumental talents immediately. Swapping effortlessly between the didgeridoos and guitar during 2012s single “Bow Down”, Rudd’s vocals were met with a prerecording of birdsong and images of current political and environmental issues flashing across the screen.
Not just another surf-folk singer, Rudd’s music has an element of activism twisted tightly into the melody that can bring a person to a sense of euphoria in one moment, and in the next completely ground them with the consequences of their actions. An activist by nature, all of Rudd’s songs focus on heavy social matters close to his beliefs. Still, as heavy as these themes are, Rudd manages to pull them together in a way where they have an overall positive moral.
As the lighting became diffused in the smokey effects, Rudd strummed into feel-good track “Follow The Sun”. The venue began to burn red as birds screeched loudly from the speakers, and punters swayed forward in a dreamy bliss.
Throughout the gig, Rudd extended each tune with mesmerising instrumentals that, though lengthy, never appeared to drag on. Playing his didgeridoos, guitar and an array of percussion and brass instruments simultaneously illustrated the extremely high degree of talent this multifaceted musician possesses.
“Come Let Go”, “Fortune Teller” and an altered cover of Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” had the crowd reciprocating Rudd’s now iconic vocals. Telling his supporters that they’re beautiful and to support the land, Rudd created a positive spiritual vibe that resonated through the room and connected the spectators with the singer-songwriter. Finishing with the slow acoustic “Spirit Bird”, Rudd stood alone on stage and his huge sound filled it to capacity right up until the conclusion of the performance.
