It’s not too often that a gig will sell out; the expected long-returning international artists are a given, but for an Australian artist who is only recently establishing himself as a respected solo artist, times can be tough.
Despite this, Angus Stone overcame the odds to play to a full house at The Gov on Wednesday night.
Only a few hours before his appearance at the ARIA awards, crowds of all divisions came together for arguably the Dave Grohl of Australian music – the nicest man in rock.
When Stone’s opening act, Steve Smythe graced the stage with nothing but a guitar, it was evident that audiences didn’t know what to expect.
With half of the crowd spread among the floor and the other half to the side, sitting legs crossed, Smythe intrigued crowds as a one-man band with husky vocals and striking guitar that resembled the greatest songs of Eddie Vedder. He truly proved he could hold his own supporting such a respected Australian musician.
All crowds stood and gathered towards the stage as five rather hairy men embraced their audience with opening track “River Love”. With its eventual slow-tempo breakdown, the band danced together on stage in such happiness, the better few of Stone’s fans couldn’t help but join them.
The mood continued while fans sang along to “The Bird And The Buffalo”, howled to “Monsters”, and whistled to “Wooden Chair”, allowing Stone to make his show more interactive.
Audiences experienced a new side of the performer when he asked if they wanted a story, pouring heart into a solo version of Angus & Julia Stone’s “Bella”, written for a friend who sadly lost her life too soon.
Stone paid homage to musical influences with “Clouds Above”, “End Of The World” and “Be What You Be”, channelling the folk, blues and psychedelic sounds of Broken Brights, the latter of which becoming arguably the greatest highlight of the night.
With closing track, “Yellow Brick Road”, Stone thanked and waved goodbye to his Adelaide audience. Though he had fulfilled his hour and a half set, the night had gone by too fast for all, demanding he return for an encore with screams of “ANGUS! ANGUS!” Not one to disappoint his fans, Stone and his band slowly returned one by one to conclude an amazing night.
It was clear in the end that Angus Stone was born to be on stage. Not to say that Broken Brights is a substandard album, but Stone’s live performance far exceeds the standard set by the record. The overall atmosphere he creates – rhythmically, lyrically, emotionally – is magical.
