It’s just after 10pm at the Hamilton Hotel and there’s a sense of expectation in the air. There’s a jockeying for position in the crowd and then the lights dim. James Reyne is front and centre and armed with an electric guitar. The four-piece band behind him launch a squall of feedback. The noise takes shape as drummer John Watson kicks into Fall Of Rome. It’s a strong opener and the audience sings the lyrics, acerbic and punchy, back to the singer. Without missing a beat, there’s ‘Hammerhead’ and ‘Slave’. Great songs don’t exist in a vacuum; they live with an audience as part of our collective DNA. As Reyne’s set unfolds it’s obvious that the singer/songwriter is one of the most significant popular writers of his generation.
The room as a communal meditation sings ‘Reckless’. Poignant: it’s little wonder Paul Kelly covered it.
One imagines it’s not always an easy ride for Reyne. There’s no hiding on a stage this size. He can see the whites of the audience’s eyes. Like a learned prizefighter, in 2012 he’s still punching his weight as a writer. Touring a fine new album, Thirteen, Reyne appears to have re-discovered his mojo. ‘Capsize’ and ‘English Girls’, both from Thirteen, are top shelf.
The legacy of Australian Crawl hangs over the event but Reyne is hardly a nostalgia act. The performance has an edge to it. There’s energy in his delivery and his lyrics, dotted with detail, remain engaging.
‘Beautiful People’ comes early and sounds like it was written last week. To keep up with inflation, the protagonists in the song now ride ‘two thousand dollar push bikes in the park’. ‘Downhearted’, like ‘Slave’ and ‘Reckless’, is another full room sing-a-long.
For a moment Reyne is distracted by requests and performs an impromptu cover of Johnny Cash’s ‘Boy Named Sue’. Before the set can drift, it’s back to business with ‘Motor’s Too Fast’ and ‘Way Out West’.
It’s the final furlong where Reyne takes the set into overdrive. Delivering a mighty triumvirate from Australian Crawl’s Sirocco: it’s hard to top a finale that includes ‘Errol’, ‘Oh No Not You Again’ and a ball-tearing ‘Things Don’t Seem’. The encore is inevitable, but you want it to be. ‘Boys Light Up’ seals the deal.
Reyne seems to have a renewed spring in his step, his new material is worth hearing and his live act feeds on a potent mix of his own vitality alongside our shared experience of the songs. Reyne delivers a live show that can make you feel completely lost in those oh so rare moments of rock and roll magic.
If you’re a promoter reading this and you’re in a position to book Reyne for Homebake or The Big Day Out, then do it. Reyne still rocks, his set list has few peers in this country and more people outside of his long-standing fan base should see him.
Sean Sennett
