In the fast-paced lives that most of us live, it’s rare to hold someone’s attention for more than a few minutes at a time. Dallas Green, under his pseudonym City And Colour, had an audience under his thumb for two entire hours.
People didn’t come to dance or catch up with friends. They came to sit, to listen, and to watch a performance they’ll likely remember for the rest of their lives. In fact the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with a capacity of 10,000, had never felt more intimate.
Before the Canadian headliner hit the stage, the scarce crowd were charmed by Florida’s folky foursome Twin Forks and local Melbourne act Husky. The two eclectic groups provided the perfect prelude for the final show of Green’s Australian tour.
An interesting song choice welcomed the headliner and his touring band on stage – Soul II Soul’s popular 80s reggae/pop track ‘Back To Life’.
Despite a band of four, plus numerous guitar changes by the artist himself, it was undoubtedly the singer’s voice that had the audience mesmerised from start to finish.
‘Of Space And Time’ from Green’s latest album The Hurry And The Harm began what would be two hours of astounding vocals and musicianship.
As well as performing songs from his latest LP The Hurry And The Harm, released in June this year, the group featured numbers from his entire back catalogue including tunes from Little Hell (2011), Bring Me Your Love (2008), and his solo debut, Sometimes (2005).
Alternating between acoustic guitars and their electric counterparts, Green sang his way through slower lullaby tunes to the more upbeat country twangs. There was never a dull moment.
The glittering stage of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl only added to the intensity of the musician’s vocals and the harmonies. A single spotlight lit up the Canadian alone for some of the songs, while disco balls that doubled as strobe lights sat on the floor of the stage for others, sending out thousands of rays into the crowd. The roof of the amphitheatre was splashed with lights that flickered between colours and positions.
Before performing one of City And Colour’s most popular tracks ‘Body In A Box’, Green tuned his acoustic and asked,“I wanna try something.”
He requested the punters to take out their phones and put them in the air before saying, “Now put them in your pocket.”
“Let’s not worry about trying to remember the moment, but actually try to experience it in the moment. For one song, just us,” he pleaded.
For the first time all night, the audience’s voices were resounding as thousands sang along undistracted.
The performer’s subtle humour continued after the older track ‘Comin’ Home’ when a male from the stand yelled out, “You sound like an angel!” The star replied jestingly, “But you don’t know what an angel sounds like.”
Before his 2011 LP title track ‘Little Hell’, another punter yelled and asked the singer to marry them. Green laughed, put his finger with his wedding ring in the air and joked, “Are we in Utah?”
Penning thanks for the friendships he’s made through years of touring, the singer-songwriter explained the meaning behind the songs, maintaining the strong connection he’d built with his fans from the beginning of the show.
In the only slightly awkward point of the evening, Green declared, “It’s about time we turn this Saturday night into a Saturday night.” He prompted the seated crowd to get up and dance, however the three songs that followed weren’t exactly the type you could move your hips to.
After 17 songs, the performers all left the stage. The frontman returned alone for an encore of three more numbers.
He began with the crowd-pleaser ‘The Girl’. Between bouts of awe-inspired silence, the audience sang along. As the tempo picked up, the band returned to the stage and resumed their parts accordingly.
After playing his favourite ‘Two Coins’, the folk artist finished with an interesting choice – the sombre ‘Death’s Song’. Despite the slightly disappointing down-tempo finish, the vocal talents of this singer-songwriter left none unsatisfied.
Green’s voice has the ability to hold the attention of 10,000 and beyond. With both the power to capture an emotionally intense silence and the glee of a singalong, it was a concert like no other.
