Angus Stone @ The Ferntree Gully Hotel (23/11/2012)
There appears to be something about Angus Stone’s music that attracts both young and old. Having such wide appeal can be challenging for some but Angus appeared to work with his audience quite well.
First up was Steve Smyth, quietly sneaking up on stage with guitar in hand. With his impressive facial hair and tangled mess of hair it was easy to see how she had come to this conclusion. However, with his powerful, gritty voice I saw him as more of a wolf man. It was amazing how just his voice and guitar work, mixed in with the occasional stomping foot, could cut through the chattering crowd.
Moving away from the microphone only when required to rock out on his guitar, the simplicity of his set up definitely did not detract from his performance. He must also be commended for his brave choice of performing one of his tracks a capella, singing off mic for half of the song and throwing in a few clicks and stomps for good measure.
The audience awarded his bravery with loud cheering and applause but the moment’s magic was slightly drowned out by the conversations of the crowd. Even so, he left the stage with a smile on his face and his guitar slung over his shoulder. His enthusiasm was infectious and I was definitely not left disappointed.
After instruments were tuned and some more alcohol was consumed Angus Stone finally took to the stage.
The main question probably many asked before the start of this gig was whether Angus could move past the shadow of his Angus and Julia Stone duo fame. Our fears were alleviated fast when he confidently stepped on stage, unafraid to open with a simple mandolin and guitar riff.
He addressed the absence of his sister early on in the set, reflecting his approach to his solo career. I think it would have been naive of him to ignore his past success. I believe it was smart and only natural of him to build off of that while also moving forward.
Avoiding the cliche of performing Big Jet Plane, Angus did slip in a few Angus and Julia Stone tracks, Yellow Brick Road being the crowd favourite overall. That being said, many of his own singles also appeared to get the audience going with Wooden being the perfect track to end the night. Along with Monsters, these two singles invited everyone to join in and sing along.
The set featured many different styles of song which Angus seamlessly made his way through, belting out each song with the equal amounts of passion. Although impressive musically, slower and more drawn out songs such as The End Of The World made the crowd a bit more restless and did not work well within this context. They just couldn’t match the energy of the rest of the performance.
Overall, it was a great way to spend a Friday night. Although many people continued to talk throughout the performance there was definitely thunderous applause after every song. The crowd was also eager for the encore, cheering for Angus to return to the stage. It was apparent that Angus is definitely a talented performer in his own right and that his solo career is not a failed venture.
Natalia Baranowski
First up was Steve Smyth, quietly sneaking up on stage with guitar in hand. With his impressive facial hair and tangled mess of hair it was easy to see how she had come to this conclusion. However, with his powerful, gritty voice I saw him as more of a wolf man. It was amazing how just his voice and guitar work, mixed in with the occasional stomping foot, could cut through the chattering crowd.
Moving away from the microphone only when required to rock out on his guitar, the simplicity of his set up definitely did not detract from his performance. He must also be commended for his brave choice of performing one of his tracks a capella, singing off mic for half of the song and throwing in a few clicks and stomps for good measure.
The audience awarded his bravery with loud cheering and applause but the moment’s magic was slightly drowned out by the conversations of the crowd. Even so, he left the stage with a smile on his face and his guitar slung over his shoulder. His enthusiasm was infectious and I was definitely not left disappointed.
After instruments were tuned and some more alcohol was consumed Angus Stone finally took to the stage.
The main question probably many asked before the start of this gig was whether Angus could move past the shadow of his Angus and Julia Stone duo fame. Our fears were alleviated fast when he confidently stepped on stage, unafraid to open with a simple mandolin and guitar riff.
He addressed the absence of his sister early on in the set, reflecting his approach to his solo career. I think it would have been naive of him to ignore his past success. I believe it was smart and only natural of him to build off of that while also moving forward.
Avoiding the cliche of performing Big Jet Plane, Angus did slip in a few Angus and Julia Stone tracks, Yellow Brick Road being the crowd favourite overall. That being said, many of his own singles also appeared to get the audience going with Wooden being the perfect track to end the night. Along with Monsters, these two singles invited everyone to join in and sing along.
The set featured many different styles of song which Angus seamlessly made his way through, belting out each song with the equal amounts of passion. Although impressive musically, slower and more drawn out songs such as The End Of The World made the crowd a bit more restless and did not work well within this context. They just couldn’t match the energy of the rest of the performance.
Overall, it was a great way to spend a Friday night. Although many people continued to talk throughout the performance there was definitely thunderous applause after every song. The crowd was also eager for the encore, cheering for Angus to return to the stage. It was apparent that Angus is definitely a talented performer in his own right and that his solo career is not a failed venture.
Natalia Baranowski