It’s rare to see a band room packed with punters right from the outset of a gig, and irrespective of what one perceives the role of a support act to be, Fraser A. Gorman successfully wooed a crowd from the earliest strums of his guitar, and turned them into stayers with his sharp attire, witty banter and, amongst other things, a fine new single, “Dark Eyes.”
In addition to the new love refrain, Gorman told the audience of shooting the accompanying video, nothing short of a marathon effort with singer-songwriter sent running 3km through a field in a suit, only to conclude by plunging into the depths (or shallows, perhaps) of a chilly dam. His final track, was sung accapella, and delivered to a very attentive crowd, in a band room where every glass chink was now audible, well, almost every chink.
Following this polished chap was Ainslie Wills and band, another mesmerizing songstress who captivated the audience with tracks from her recently released album, You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine.
But for The Corner’s headliner, little has been mentioned of her ventures, musical or otherwise, since her 2009 album Hidden Hands. This was in part, the result of returning to New Zealand to visit her parents, who both sadly passed away in late 2011.
But despite tragedy, the four years have served her well, for the official Melbourne unveiling of her third album, In Blood Memory, was touching, funny, and engaging, and it was a gig bearing all the highs, lows and passions present on the album itself.
Opening with the chugging “Kamikaze Tiger,” Cloher was supported by an all-star band, with former Endless Sea members Jen Sholakis on drums and Michael Hubbard on guitar, as well as the supremely talented Courtney Barnett on an additional guitar.
Followed by “Toothless Tiger” and “Needs,” a song dedicated to anyone, “who likes Meryl Streep,” J.Clo moved through the songs now familiar to many ears, and onto tracks privy only to the audience gathered.
At this point Gorman returned to stage, more fervent than ever, the wild curls of this “filth babe” (Jen’s words) shaking furiously as unitedly they sung the chorus of their duet, “I don’t know why I’m breaking down.” Following Cloher’s first Gorman endorsement, upon exiting the stage she informed punters that he was “all Neil Young and shit,” in case the first compliment didn’t really sell it.
Before making it to the stage however, the album had already been met with extraordinary positivity and delight, with phrases such as “unexpectedly daring,” “ultimately refreshing,” and “solid, confident” used with increasing frequency.
Its shortness serves it well, at only seven songs long, it’s tight, and refined, and as a result the audience’s involvement and engrossment never waned.
At their most committed, they stood silent as Cloher revealed two tracks that didn’t make it onto the album, the second, sung with minimal guitar and with Barnett and Wills providing back up vocals. It was nothing short of exquisite, and a shame not to be found on the album.
But the most touching song, “Hold My Hand,” saved appropriately for the show’s finale, left the audience clutching hearts and with stray tears strewn across a few faces as the audience sympathized with Cloher’s story.
Cloher prefaced the story with its inspiration, having overheard her parents, Tom and Dorothy (the latter badly affected by Alzheimer’s) sharing the dated, but no less romantic tale of how they met.
In Blood Memory stands up independently and powerfully live, echoes brightly with each airplay, and resounds wonderfully on vinyl or when played in a more provide, domestic setting. It is sure to be an album that is remarked on for some time to come, and for Cloher, it’s without question her batch of songs yet.
