GIG | BOB EVANS + Bree De Rome @ Camelot Lounge, Sydney 05/05/17
With his Bob Dylan haircut and Mr Bean suit, it was clear from the outset that tonight Bob Evans would deliver a mix of folk music and comedy. With his catchy folk-pop songs, the former was expected but it was the latter that kept the crowd wholly engaged throughout the night. And thankfully, Evans delivers his on-stage banter with much clearer diction than both Dylan and Mr Bean combined.
Named ‘Lonesome Highways’, the tour is making a mix of city and regional stops, though one suspects Evans was feeling far from lonely when stuck in Sydney traffic en route to this gig.
The Camelot Lounge is a unique venue decked out like an old toy shop in a horror film where one of the dolls becomes possessed and brought to life. It also plays heavily on the camel part of its name, displaying everything from flying camels to posters for Camel brand cigarettes. The all-seated layout was deliberately more intimate than Evans recent tour with Josh Pyke and with a high wine to beer ratio it was certainly a far cry from a Jebediah moshpit.
Warming up the night was Bree De Rome who roped us in with her sweet talk before breaking our hearts with anti-love songs. Her passionate, melancholic set was a charming way to start off the evening, playing a mix of originals such as ‘I Expected More’ and covers like Thom Yorke’s ‘The Eraser’.
Fans who pre-booked online were treated to a free 6-track EP' Zeroes to Heroes’, containing previously unreleased material, ensuring the night took off in good stead before it even began. With his guitar wrapped in Christmas lights, Evans took to the stage in solo mode, his backing band for the night a harmonica and a bottle of wine. Opening with the uplifting ‘Happy Tears’ from latest album ‘Car Boot Sale’, he started things off strongly, having the sold out crowd in stitches as he attempted a whistling solo despite having a case of the giggles.
Such was the positive vibe in the room that you felt like holding hands with the person next to you for a campfire singalong as Evans propelled his way through ‘Nowhere Without You and ‘Don’t Wanna Grow Up Anymore’.
The good vibes continued with ‘Somebody So Much’, the punch-drunk love ‘Friend’ and the beautifully sobering ‘Cold Comfort’.
Evans was clearly aghast at the eerily attentive crowd, prompting him to open things up for request; this allowed for the rarely played ‘Ode To My Car’ to be pulled from the woodworks, a song in which Evans points out is not a metaphor for love but rather a ‘story is in the title’ song about having a soft spot for his blue Mitsubishi.
All albums were represented throughout the night, from ‘Turn’ on debut album ‘Suburban Kid’ to ‘Old News’ from last year’s ‘Car Boot Sale’. During ‘Turn’ Evans reflected how much he’d changed in some ways since those early days as he embraces adulthood and how in other ways he hasn’t changed a bit (said whilst taking another mouthful of wine straight from the bottle).
Closing the set was a mash up of ‘Matterfact’ with a welcome cover of ‘Grease (is the word)’. Then, quickly returning for an encore he took another request, this time for ‘Ron Sexsmith’.
Evans’ banter was comical and on-point as he recalled the evening a uni student unknown to him confidently marched around backstage smoking his smokes, drinking his beer and not knowing who Ron Sexsmith is, inspiring the lyrics for the song. It’s this kind of persiflage that has seen Evans start his own podcast ‘Good Evans, It’s a Bobcast’, where he discusses music and general chit chat with everyone from Kram of Spiderbait to comedian Rove McManus.
The 4-song encore concluded with ‘Me & My Friend’, a hidden track from 'Suburban Songbook', further cementing the idea that tonight was a rare, special occasion. One where fans were rewarded for their loyalty with rarities and intimacy from this poetic storytelling larrikin.
Bob Evans 'Zeroes to Heroes' EP is available now via online pre-booking to the ‘Lonesome Highway Tour’ at bobevans.com.au
‘Lonesome Highway Tour’
May 11 - The Spotted Cow, Toowoomba
May 12 - 5 Church St, Bellingen
May 13 - Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane
June 1 - Baha, Rye
June 2 - Croxton Front Bar, Melbourne
June 3 - Workers Club, Geelong
June 8 - Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide
June 9 - Bridge Hotel, Castlemaine
Commentaires