Nick Barker @ The Troubadour, Brisbane

The Troubadour in Brisbane is easily my favourite intimate live music venue. It's cosy with a nice colour scheme, has a red tassled frame around the stage with persian rugs on the wall, and faux antlers are mounted around the place, casting demonic shadows on the walls. It's a bohemian den of iniquity meets "Rawhide", and that sensibility suits me perfectly.

I first saw Nick Barker as I was entering the premises. As I walked up the stairs, he sprinted down them, a youthful vision in white t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, with a short spiky 'do'. This is a far reach from the long-haired, black jeaned, winkle-pickle wearing swampy rocker I recall from copious gigs in the '80s with his band Nick Barker and The Reptiles. I like the change. He looks healthy, fit and happy these days, which can only be a positive thing.

As my man and I walked into The Troub, I noticed the prevalence of guys who must've been spraying hair fertiliser on their faces for the past week: is it just me, or does 'Movember' get more popular every year? One guy, who resembled James Hetfield from Metallica circa '80s (imagine this with a handlebar mo) kept removing his shirt and getting told off (gently) by the bouncer (who sported the most impressive, substantial black mo of the evening, a la Alfred Molina in "Boogie Nights"). Another guy resembled Korn's Jonathan Davis with a porn mo. I must say, the porn mo looked great on him. From hereon in, I shall refer to them as James and Jonathan.

The support bands had almost ended. As I'd not been feeling the best all day, I'd opted to turn up just before Nick's performance which, I know, isn't the best way to operate but, when you're feeling dodgy, it's sometimes all you can do. There was a decent crowd for The Troub and, while the audience predominantly consisted of people around my age who probably had some curiosity about the new Nick versus '80s Nick, there were a good number of younger punters sporting that '60s fashion vibe. It's always good to see new fans of musicians who've been around for a while; I like - and encourage - that. I add, though, that it's kind of weird seeing '60s revivalists in clubs when that was the 'alternative' look most popular when I was a teenager in the mid '80s. What comes around goes around, evidently, several times!

Nick's set kicked off sans guitarist Justin Garner (from South Poor), who was otherwise distracted at the bar. A quick call-out over the mic for him to get onstage saw the complete band present within seconds. I was most impressed by the burly drummer, Michael Barclay (Paul Kelly and The Messengers, W.P.A.), sporting a frangipani behind his ear; I often do the same in frangi season, but have never seen a man do it. The juxtaposition between manly man and delicate flower was hilarious. The bassist, Alan Brooker, needed no introduction to some older members of the audience due to his work with Paul Kelly and The Dots. Justin, now fully in the moment, impressed me with his spontaneity in style and gutsy backing vocals. Nick - even with his small electric acoustic which, he joked, made him feel slightly inadequate - is still a force to be reckoned with during live performances. He has lost none of his edge, but he now has a darker quality which lends more credibility to his music. He still swears a lot on stage, but it's in that Aussie bloke way where it's more of an adjective than abuse. Into the set, he calls out to 'Jonathan', asking him if he liked the restaurant he was eating at earlier, adding he couldn't forget 'that' moustache. Mid gig, 'James' rambles on to the rear of the stage, shirt off, beer in hand, rocking out to the gig. This character was pretty hilarious, so we made sure we got a shot of him.

The evening was filled with this old-school Australian pub vibe, a laidback and fun vibe I haven't felt at gigs for a while. There were even the dodgy drunk dancers at the front of the stage who, if I was on stage, I would find really distracting; I often don't know how the band stops themselves from laughing. That drunken side-step with the lurch where they almost fall over, but don't...gets me every time.

The music performed tonight was a mixture of music from Nick's new album, "Black Water Blues", music from bands he respects, and some older music from the rest of his career. Highlights from the evening were the songs "Where I Wanna Be", a gorgeous slower song which, on the album, features female backing vocals. In this case, the drummer performed backing vocals with the guitarist adding vocals toward the end. It still worked and tugged on my heart strings. "Sunny's Song", written for Nick's son about the break-up of his relationship with Sunny's Mum, was another showstopper. The set was vibrant and dynamic, the country vibe of the album taking a back seat to a rockier edge. When Nick returned to the stage for an encore, he pleased some of the older punters with a rendition of his '80s cover hit, "Come up and see me (make me smile)". However, my favourite song from that era was "Down Today" and I must admit, it made me RATHER happy to see Nick performing that after all these years with such an edge and gritty vocals. And yes, my fellow swampy girl Nick fans from the '80s, he's still a total spunk.

Nick is performing more gigs around Australia later in November and throughout December, so check out his MySpace for details. His album can be bought online at Hired Goons or at one of his gigs. 

[This gig was held on Saturday 7th November 2009]


Thanks to my man, Distaudio, for taking these photos for me with his phone cam when my point and shoot failed miserably due to lighting conditions and the desire to shoot without a flash.

Nick Barker : Black Water Blues [Album Review]

Nick Barker has always been an intriguing and integral part of the Australian alternative music scene. He started out in the mid '80s with Melbourne band The Wreckery, then branched out to form his own group, Nick Barker and The Reptiles. He reached a level of mainstream fame with their cover of  Steve Harley's 1975 hit song, "Make me Smile (Come up and see me)". Since then, he's had a successful solo career, collaborated with other musicians, and has even become involved in acting and score-writing.

As a teenager in the mid to late '80s, I saw every Brisbane gig that Nick played in these bands and, among his fans, there was an evident sense of loyalty and devotion to this singer-songwriter. Not only does Nick have an evocative story-telling style within his lyric writing, but he's an extremely likeable person. I always found his onstage persona to be witty, jovial, and very down to earth. So it pleases me to no end to be reviewing his latest album, Black Water Blues.

While his style has morphed from swamp punk to rock to blues over the years, the fundamental elements which make Nick's music stand out are still here: reading his lyrics, it's like being slapped in the face by a poet, simultaneously melancholic and confrontational.

If I could think of a nice word to say
I'd find wet cement and I'd write it today
Down near you throwing cash
To the local white trash
Thinking you're doing good
Like some new Robin Hood
But you're thicker than paint
And hardly a saint
The lines on your face hide the mind of a child.

[From Mind of a Child]

The care taken with the packaging of this album also reflects the attitude with which Nick approaches all aspects of his music: it's deeply original, creative, all done with integrity. The atmospheric artwork by Emma DeClario sets the mood to listen to this gem of an album.

There's a sense of home in this album's sound. By that, I mean it's intimate and real. The music takes you on a journey into Nick's life and mind and you leave the experience feeling touched by the subtleties and mood created. Although the album, genre-wise, borders on country / blues - and I'm not normally a country music fan - the authenticity of his approach creates a sound that is wholly his own. With Nick Barker, there is no 'front', no walls erected. There are few other musicians who can entice me to listen to country-sounding music - Johnny Cash is one - but I believe that when a musician sings the blues, and really considers his or her lyrical content when doing so, it creates a ripple effect of raw emotion in the listener. Combine this with infectious, toe-tapping guitar riffs which promise great live renditions and this album is a winner.

The song Black Water paints a portrait of everyday life and creates vibrant mirages in the mind of the listener: The black crud from the coffee machine is dripping through me slowly. Where I Wanna Be adopts its bluesy roots in a more traditional form, and features the sublime vocals of Felicity Urquhart. This song is so incredibly beautiful, I literally get shivers listening to it. The use of the dobro brings a traditional feeling to Sugaree. Good Days Bad Days takes toe-tapping to a new level with banjo accompaniment; how can you say no to a banjo?

Black Water Blues is a moving album experience and creates a warmth of feeling. It brings to mind images of sitting on the verandah with friends, discussing those shared experiences that make you laugh, think, weep and remember.

Nick Barker is setting out on an Australian tour during October through to December. For details and more information about Nick and his music, visit his MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/nickbarkermusic.

This review was written for The Dwarf.

Ravior : Sub Rosa [EP review]

Listening to the first track Lethalogica on West Australian band Ravior's new EP, Sub Rosa, I'm reminded of old Soundgarden. Remember Chris Cornell before he met Timbaland? That crazy energy, those wailing vocals and '70s guitars? I hear something in Ravior's music initially that gives me a sense of the best of the '90s happening all over again.

The EP itself includes nice dark, brooding design elements which are professionally reflected in their website, MySpace etc. But yet again - argh, another pet hate of mine! - I can't find the band members' surnames anywhere. You're musicians guys, not some creepy online perv. You can own up to who you are and take the credit / criticism that comes with making music for a living! Oh well ... Ravior consists of Trent on vocals, KG (oh god, not even a real name!) on bass, Paddo (it gets worse) on drums, Rodney on guitars, and Rhino (oops, there you go, just lost me) on ... more guitars? On the title of the EP, it might have been opportune to show some originality in the titling, instead of naming it after a 2003 album by Eagle-Eye Cherry. It also helps out music media when reviewing if you provide an image of your EP somewhere - on your website, MySpace, anywhere - otherwise someone like me just picks some random photo from your MySpace. Press FAIL. But back to the music ...

Second track Animal is decidedly more commercial sounding, not necessarily a bad thing. This track is just much more mainstream than the first, heading Ravior to a different potential fan base. The vocals are consistently strong - I love it when people put in the effort - and there's a hint of The Edge in the tonal qualities of the guitar riffs. They also remind me a little of Noiseworks ... remember them? Solid, mainstream rock. Third track, Age of Reason is, yes, a cover of the John Farnham hit and, although I'm not a Farnham fan by any stretch of someone's warped imagination, I think his version was better. Always a risky move putting a cover on an album, let alone an EP. It just seems lazy, especially for a first release.

With I'm Carrying, the band's channeling part Nirvana, part Live, part Nickelback, resulting in maximum Triple M (Brisbane rock radio station) friendliness. Nothing surprising, no extreme innovation, just good mainstream rock music.

Final track SDP is the slow, emotive piece on the EP which is sadly ruined for me by bad mixing and inappropriately jarring drum programming mid-song. Which is a shame, because the end of the song screams to life with some great guitar riffs and lovely vocals.

I can't say this EP has inspired me greatly or has displayed anything unusual - it's in fact a bit disappointing for a band that's been playing live since 2006 - however Ravior should find some commercial success through radio play because their music is made for mainstream rock programming.

If you're interested in finding out more about Ravior's music, check out their website.

This review was written for The Dwarf.