A State of Grace: The Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley

QPAC 25.09.2015

You’d have to have balls of steel to produce a concert these days. Let’s face it, there’s so much going on by way of distraction that it can make it hard to prise yourself off the couch to go and see almost anything. Well, this is a show you should see. The concept mixes a dash of storytelling with fine music played out in homage to two American influencers, Tim and Jeff Buckley. The father and son didn’t know each other, but they were both blessed to impact on their audiences through the power of stellar songs and superb singing

Tonight is only the second show that the ensemble have performed. The event avoids a linear approach to the set list and settles on a well conceived mosaic of tunes.

What gives A State Of Grace immediate gravitas is band leader Gary Lucas who both admired Tim and worked with/mentored Jeff. It was Lucas who co-wrote such seminal Buckley Jnr. tunes as ‘Grace’ and ‘Mojo Pin’. His band Gods and Monsters do an admirable job providing the sonic backdrop. It was a particular thrill to hear bassist Ernie Brooks (formerly of the Modern Lovers).

Lucas, apart from his exceptional guitar work also acts as MC. During the night he’ll share his thoughts on everything from observing Tim to meeting and writing with Jeff… to his own record company horror stories.

The night begins with Cold Specks take on ‘Chase The Blues Away’. It’s almost a capacity house and from the outset the audience is engrossed. Steve Kilbey is on next for a reading of Tim’s ‘Happy Time’. With Gods and Monsters behind him Kilbey sounds sublime. Maybe it’s the 100 shows he’s tallied up with the Church this year: but the singer’s voice is sheer velvet. He brings ‘Happy Time’ into 2015 and imbues it with an energy that mixes the timeless with a flush of modernity.

Martha Wainwright joins Kilbey for ‘Forget Her’. The Canadian’s voice isn’t as high in the mix as it should be. That’s rectified and she sounds at home on ‘She Is Free’ and ‘Mojo Pin’. Willy Mason performs ‘Buzzin’ Fly’ with a lilt in his voice that’s almost hypnotic.

The show works because none of the singers attempt to ape of mimic either Buckley. The event becomes all about the songs. The staging itself is relatively simple. The lights are parlayed to great effect. Everything from a video of Tim to voicemails from Jeff are used to link the show. There’s a narrative weaving, but, like the set, there’s no chronological constraints.

Casper Clausen (of Efterklang) brings a cabaret vibe to ‘Blue Melody’ and his duet with Cold Specks, ‘Everybody Wants You’. Camille O’Sullivan occupies another terrain and carries fire and brimstone all the way from Ireland. She does understand light and shade and impresses on both ‘Cruel’ and ‘Lilac Wine’. Cold Specks closes the  first half with a bare bones rendition of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’.

We’re serenaded by Tim Buckley on the big screen as the audience come in from interval. Kilbey begins the second half with Pleasant Street and again he displays an intuitive grasp of the material and somehow manages that neat trick of paying respect and making the song sound like his own.

Highlights from ‘part two’ include Mason’s ‘Satisfied Mind’, Wainwright’s ‘Lover You Should’ve Come Over’ and Camille’s ‘Song To The Siren’. Wainwright leads the ensemble through ‘Grace’ and there’s an ovation as the night winds to a close. Camille’s ‘Song To The Siren’ reflects the dark and light that has ruminated throughout before the group close with ‘Morning Glory’.

Powered by the songs of Tim and Jeff Buckley, the playing and song selections are off the top shelf. If you have a flicker of interest in songs that have a beating heart at their core: then see A State Of Grace.

Sean Sennett

Sunday 27 September 2015

Enmore Theatre, Sydney New South Wales
enmoretheatre.com.au box office: 13 28 49

Tuesday 29 September 2015
Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Victoria
melbournerecital.com.au box office: 03 9699 3333

For more information and all ticketing information please visit astateofgracelive.com

Produced by Gaynor Crawford and Kirsten Siddle