A last minute change to the line-up at the Northcote Social Club tonight saw Steven Clifford and Joe Cope, of The Hello Morning, fill in for original support act Matt Stott from the band Howlin’ Steam Train.
Looking at the duo up on stage, who perform with the Melbournian sextet, you wouldn’t know it was a last minute gig at all.
Bringing to the stage an acoustic guitar, an organ, Clifford’s unique lead vocals, and Cope’s accompanying harmony, the lads create a more relaxed, stripped back version of The Hello Morning’s full band sound, which is nonetheless impressive in its own right.
The room fills with Clifford’s rich, heartfelt voice as he alternatively croons and belts out songs from The Hello Morning’s self-titled debut album. The band is known for taking their time to hone and perfect their craft (they formed in 2004 and their self-titled debut album was released in February 2012), and the same intricate attention to detail comes across in Clifford’s and Cope’s performance.
The two gents are comfortable on stage, banter easily, and it is clear they love what they do for a living.
Flitting between country and rock ‘n’ roll, with a dash of psychedelia thrown in thanks to Cope’s organ playing, their music is fresh and interesting, catching you unawares as to what direction they are taking you.
The stand out of the set is “Don’t Wait For Me”, which shows just how moving their harmonies can be. The smile shared between the two in this number cements the feeling that the two are friends as well as band mates.
Notable mentions must also go to their cover of Wilson Pickett’s “Don’t Let The Green Grass Fool You”, instantly catchy original number “Don’t Let It”, and the closer of the set, “Stone Cold Lover”, into which Clifford injects his usual brand of soulfulness.
Fresh from the Port Fairy Folk Festival, acclaimed UK singer-songwriter Sean Taylor greets the intimate crowd with a friendly open smile and says, “I have a feeling by the end of the night we will know each other very well. It’s lovely to be here.”
Taylor is here as part of his whirlwind debut Australian tour to promote fifth studio album Love Against Death. Armed with an acoustic guitar, a harmonica, and an incredibly easy stage presence, he is ready, and you get the feeling he is more than able to put everyone in the room under his spell.
Regularly likened to greats such as the impassioned John Martyn, old man Neil Young, and the gravelly voiced Tom Waits, the lad from Kilburn, London, has been busy earning his stripes as one of the most talented musicians to come out of the European blues and roots scene in recent years.
One thing to note about Taylor is once he is up on stage, he doesn’t keep still. For the entire hour and a half set, he is moving and losing himself in his performance, all the while encouraging the crowd to likewise get lost in the show.
Maybe it is the trilby hat he endearingly lifts off his head and the appreciative nod he gives the crowd at the end of each song; maybe it is the relaxed vibe he puts out, but you see in him something of a modern day troubadour. He’s a poet who has his finger on the pulse, a storyteller with a political conscience, a man who can relate to people and sing them significant and touching songs.
A nod to his hometown, “Kilburn” is an ode to the multicultural area Taylor was born, raised and still lives in. Jokingly, he says by the age of 12 he knew how to swear in a hundred languages, and his love for the London suburb is evident as he launches into the stirring chorus, “Coming home/I’m coming home”, and his almost-growl of lines like, “We might need it for a moment/We might want it for a day/ We can taste it on our dry lips/We can’t make it go away”.
Taylor is a versatile performer, seamlessly weaving in and out of faster, grittier political numbers like “Western Intervention”, the soothing harmonica-laden “The Road”; not to mention the cheeky-as-you-please introduction to break-up song “Fare Thee Well”, where he uses his huskiness and impressive guitar finger-picking skills to excellent effect.
Among his set of original songs are two covers that show immense respect to the original artists: the hauntingly beautiful ‘Raglan Road’, written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanaugh, is reminiscent of an Irish love ballad; and “Sixteen Tons”, written by Merle Travis”, lets his soulful side out for a jaunt in his unique mixture of whispers and gritty growls.
Strumming a lovely soft romantic melody on his guitar, he says, “this is for every woman in the audience.” He remains strumming, leans into the microphone again, and continues with a laugh, “I don’t know what I’m going to play yet … Only joking!” And then it comes, the opening track to his 2011 album Walk With Me, “Perfect Candlelight”.
After that swooning effort he concedes that the song was much too sweet and romantic, and is now going to play “some filth” instead.
Cue “Feel Alright”, with Taylor dipping into his diverse vocal range. All talk of romance is dead as he delves into a darker, dirtier tale of having a, ‘Drink with the devil if you are feeling at home”. The rhythm of his guitar swirls round the room, throwing out images of shadows and dark corners.
Taylor as an artist has a sense of humour, comes across as a humble person, a passionate performer, and seems genuinely happy to be doing what he does. Combine that with his obvious talent and the intensity of his live performance and he is sure to win a whole new audience during this Australian tour.
