Dan Sultan @ The Toff In Town
It isn’t often these days you get the privilege of seeing an artist perform solo and stripped back, so it is indeed a rare treat when you do. The audience at the Toff In Town were treated to just that when Dan Sultan took the stage for his Back To Basics tour.
Quiet in anticipation, fans were seated around a few scattered tables at the front of the stage, the arrangement creating an intimate feel. With the curtains soon parting, the silence was momentarily broken as Sultan emerged to greet the appreciative crowd.
Flanked by nothing more than two guitars and as many amplifiers, the evening was to provide Sultan with a unique opportunity to showcase a collection of new songs before heading off to the U.S. to record his much anticipated forthcoming third album.
Striking up a rapport with the crowd, the Melbourne singer chatted comfortably for a time before thanking them “for coming and listening to my new stuff. Some songs you may know, most you won’t though, so thanks for coming.”
Taking up his gold Gibson Les Paul, Sultan opened with a tune certainly familiar to the predominantly female crowd, the much loved ‘Walk through my dreams’. Normally performed with a full band at his side, the tune took on a new texture in the intimate surrounds, nicely setting the scene for the evening that was to follow.
One thing is for sure, the singer-songwriter can certainly hold an audience in the palm of his hand with ease. With a voice that is both smooth, and yet at times, rugged, the evening was peppered throughout with a mix of beautiful ballads and solid rock ‘n’ roll tunes, showcasing his magnificent and diverse style.
Every emotion filled delivery conveyed a true sincerity and pride in his craft, from the beautiful ballad featuring the lyric ‘lonely lover, I’m lonely too’, sure to be a favourite, through to the self-assured ‘Rattlesnake’, a rock ‘n’ roll tune played in true Sultan style.
By far, the highlight of the evening was the moving performance of ‘Kimberly Calling’, an emotional story about the singer songwriter’s journey to discover the whereabouts of his grandmother’s grave. Located on a beach under some palm trees along the beautiful Western Australian coastline, Sultan provides a truly heartrending moment of the evening with this song. His voice wavering at times, the performance stole the hearts of many.
While the night was filled with many new tunes, the evening was rounded out with a choice from his 2009 ARIA award winning release, Get Out While You Can, the much adored ‘Old Fitzroy’; a perfectly fitting close to the evening, seamlessly linking the old with the new.
A truly memorable evening, Dan Sultan’s Back To Basics show signaled the artist’s forthcoming album will most certainly deliver another delight to fans and music lovers all around the globe, and we can’t wait for it to be released.
Review also featured on Tonedeaf.com.au http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/reviews/shows/319924/dan-sultan.htm
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