I must must must stop going to the Water Rats and standing in line of the big blue light. Blinding it is, more-so than Jesse Malins somewhat uninspiring performance. Dont get me wrong, it was a solid show. Good vocals. Good tunes. Nice stories. A little like a punk rock campfire sing along...without the campfire.
There were a couple of moments that grabbed you long enough to stop you staring around the room and wondering why the hell everyone seemed to be a)middle aged b) a little tipsy c) discussing the school run and d) all of the above and flirting...embarrassingly. 'Brooklyn' was one, swooningly sweet like sugar on frosties, not a mouth in the house was left without every word on its lip and 'Wendy' the other. Though equally, a great cover of the Clash got all the A's,B's, C's and D's dancing so hard their feet would struggle putting pressure on the pedal in the morning.
What was nice, and pretty rare these days, was the time Mr Malin took to explain each song. Each was introduced with a a little story, and it's good to know where songs come from, how they've changed grown and how they reach you now. The setting of the dimly lit Water Rats only added to the intimacy that his honesty allowed the audience to be part of; so hats off there. I left with a smile on my face, I maybe grew a little weary and found myself checking the time more than one should feel the urge to do so; nothing exceptional happened, there were no moments of pure 'wow', but smiles were put on faces and tapping under foot. good but not great. pleasant but nothing special. If the opportunity came to see him again I wouldnt say no but then again, sometimes a really good episode of Neighbours is a pleasant way to spend an evening
Posted In Live Reviews, Dec 16 2008.
Words - Rebecca