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| The Zoo is filled early with Tex Perkins devotees awaiting the arrival of
their giant. Tables and chairs had been placed all along the front of the
stage giving a more intimate feel and allowing the audience to see the man
up close and personal minus the squish factor. We're adults and we don't
need to invade each others personal space in order to appreciate and admire
a performer such as Tex. Mind you, the tone of Tex Perkins' set tonight is
not exactly akin to the excitement and flare of the live shows we associate
with his other musical incarnations.
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Opening act Gota Cola have cemented themselves within the Brisbane music scene as one of the most mesmerising live acts around. On the one hand, it seems rather bizarre to have the trio supporting the likes of Tex Perkins, yet it's not inappropriate. They appeal on so many levels, flowing from reggae-dance to dub-trance and everything in between. This style of music has the potential to bomb completely in a live context, but this particular combination of unassuming personalities and talented individuals brings an eclectic magical mix to the surface rarely seen on stage. Tylea (vocals/guitars) hypnotises the audience with a vocal style ranging from the dry, almost husky soar of Beth Gibbons (Portishead) to the quipped and purring voice of Bjork, with her own added flavours and incantations. It's also really nice to see a woman on stage with an such air of confidence, without being cocky or arrogant. Tylea's performance is elegant and graceful in manner and execution. With the two thumbs up from Australian music guru, Richard Kingsmill, it's a wonder that Gota Cola haven't done more and made more of an impact on the Australian scene. Laced with an experimental approach to they're music, Gota Cola's style is so embracing and fresh that they seem far too slick and sophisticated to have been born out of Brisbane's musical womb. I can't stop thinking about how incredible it would be to see these guys play @ a venue like Festival Hall with a band such as Radiohead.
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The only other time I have seen an audience welcome an artist with such
warmth and affection was for Gomez in February at this same venue. Tex
Perkins has a fan base about as diverse and bizarre as you would find at
Livid, only all cramped into one tiny space and minus the teeny bopper fairy
girls. On stage, he is a force to be reckoned with, physically taking up
more space than a giraffe, and singing his way into the hearts of all
present.
With a reputation for putting on hell raising live shows with the Cruel Sea and the Beasts of Burbon, the show that Perkins puts in tonight @ The Zoo is nothing short of magical. The relaxed country blues style of his most recent solo effort, "Dark Horses" brings new meaning to the word laid back. Compared to the chaos of Perkins' other live incarnations, his solo work is positively sedate, but not in a fall asleep kind of way. The slower pace and gentler tone of the show displays Perkins as more than the rock and roll showman we know him to be. Vocally he is in effect, naked and exposed for all to see. There are no loud guitars or driving drums to get lost amongst, so he has to impress on his own. Perkins holds the audience in the palm of his hand with his deeply heart felt tales of women leaving, dogs dying and too much alcohol and cigarettes. His voice shows a strength and beauty not seen elsewhere. Perkins' voice is rich and thick, laced with emotion and sorrow. Not one for intensive stage banter and audience interaction, Tex explains his silence, "I don't do much in between songs banter-introductions stuff because they're all about the same thing so I'd just be repeating myself." And this is probably a good thing, because introductions and verbal babble have the potential to completely destroy a good show if not done properly. Admirably, he keeps quiet other than the odd "thankyou" and lets the songs stand for themselves as all he needs to say. One of the better nights I've had @ the Zoo indeed. ~Lou Lou~
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