The Gov was in cabaret mode for Clare Bowditch filling out the venue with tables and chairs to make it look like there were more people there than there actually was. It was a disappointing turn out really given the profile of Bowditch being elevated by her guest role on Channel 10’s Offspring and with her new album The Winter I Choose Happiness charting at number eleven on the ARIA Chart, it begs the question – where were you Adelaide?
Opening with Amazing Life solo, a song Bowditch started when she was nineteen and only completed a few months ago which was described as a “trying time”. Right from the get go Bowditch’s charm and warm demeanour wins the crowd over and the live experience is very much about the banter and the stories that hide behind the music that the crowd wants to hear.
When The Lights Went Down went down a treat making for one of the more poppy moments in her set before giving A Lucky Life a dust off. The One according to Bowditch requires a little less lighting, a little less heat and perhaps a cupboard to hide in as she sings it because she never thought of herself as an actor. The microphone drama creates an awkward moment and the response “I didn’t even know I could dance like that” and as a replacement mic is found she calls it “a panic dance”.
Tim Harvey complements Bowditch well on vocals on new album shiner The Big Happy and the lads from The Royal Jelly Dixieland Band lend a hand on brass on the Start Of war. With her band taking a brief smoko Bowditch goes solo again with Your Love Walks With Me dedicated to room full of incredibly good looking people. The album written with the likes of Wally De Backer (Gotye) it became apparent to Bowditch as she describes that after writing about grief, suffering, addiction and lust that all that was left was happiness – dear god, is there anything? Aren’t we meant to suffer as artists?
A good chunk of the set was steered towards the new album with the likes of Cocky Lady and One Little River getting an airing. For a career spanning five albums I was expecting a few more of the “hits” from back catalogue considering the show went for only an hour and a quarter. Nevertheless, quality over quantity and few would have been disappointed.
Returning for an encore, Bowditch asked the question “who has a crush on Eddie Perfect” before wrapping it up with You Make Me Happy which should continue giving her attention for a little while longer. A couple more would have been nice at this point, but with the lure of an autograph and the chance to meet Bowditch it seemed a good thing, leaving the crowd forming a queue and pondering previous performances and what songs should have been given a going over.
Review by Rob Lyon
Photo by Supernova Photographics. Check out the gallery here.
Opening with Amazing Life solo, a song Bowditch started when she was nineteen and only completed a few months ago which was described as a “trying time”. Right from the get go Bowditch’s charm and warm demeanour wins the crowd over and the live experience is very much about the banter and the stories that hide behind the music that the crowd wants to hear.
When The Lights Went Down went down a treat making for one of the more poppy moments in her set before giving A Lucky Life a dust off. The One according to Bowditch requires a little less lighting, a little less heat and perhaps a cupboard to hide in as she sings it because she never thought of herself as an actor. The microphone drama creates an awkward moment and the response “I didn’t even know I could dance like that” and as a replacement mic is found she calls it “a panic dance”.
Tim Harvey complements Bowditch well on vocals on new album shiner The Big Happy and the lads from The Royal Jelly Dixieland Band lend a hand on brass on the Start Of war. With her band taking a brief smoko Bowditch goes solo again with Your Love Walks With Me dedicated to room full of incredibly good looking people. The album written with the likes of Wally De Backer (Gotye) it became apparent to Bowditch as she describes that after writing about grief, suffering, addiction and lust that all that was left was happiness – dear god, is there anything? Aren’t we meant to suffer as artists?
A good chunk of the set was steered towards the new album with the likes of Cocky Lady and One Little River getting an airing. For a career spanning five albums I was expecting a few more of the “hits” from back catalogue considering the show went for only an hour and a quarter. Nevertheless, quality over quantity and few would have been disappointed.
Returning for an encore, Bowditch asked the question “who has a crush on Eddie Perfect” before wrapping it up with You Make Me Happy which should continue giving her attention for a little while longer. A couple more would have been nice at this point, but with the lure of an autograph and the chance to meet Bowditch it seemed a good thing, leaving the crowd forming a queue and pondering previous performances and what songs should have been given a going over.
Review by Rob Lyon
Photo by Supernova Photographics. Check out the gallery here.
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