Edward Russell
It’s a little hard to believe that Demi Louise is still an unsigned artist. She’s cute, she’s bubbly and she knows how to make a crowd laugh. But above all else the girl can really sing. At The Gov in Adelaide last night, Demi filled the whole stage with just a microphone, a guitar and her smile. Opening acts, when playing a wholly acoustic set, are oft criticised for sounding homogenous and derivative. One even comes to expect that from the lesser known who is just “really grateful for the opportunity to perform”. Demi gave us none of that last night. She was engaging and professional, including enough dynamics in her set list to make you feel like you’d seen a whole band rather than just one girl with a guitar.
As a musician she reminds me of a young Taylor Swift with better timbre and slightly more intelligent lyrics. As a songwriter there is no doubt Demi has talent to spare. She seems to have the knack that has made countless other musicians famous – the ability to take life’s curveballs and turn them into good music. And whilst she did us right with just her guitar last night, I’d be very excited to see her stretch her legs with a full band behind her.
Last year Demi was playing to Kanye West while he ate chicken in an artist lounge at Glastonbury. Next year I predict she’ll be the one ordering the chicken.
There’s probably little more I can write about Joshua Radin that hasn’t already been said. As his fans continuously remind us on social media, his voice is something special. Hearing it live is something I highly recommend. You won’t hear a high C or six runs in one song. What you’ll hear is something that cannot be measured – soul. Unsurprising for someone who was once called “this generation’s Bob Dylan” by Rolling Stone.
Upon arrival onstage, Josh’s voice instantly washes over the crowd and draws them in. And as I peered around The Governor Hindmarsh last night during Josh’s set I couldn’t find one face that wasn’t grinning from ear to ear. Which is a perfect illustration of how his music makes you feel. The minute he starts singing you begin to smile from the inside out. When he’s not singing, he exudes a charm that disarms you within seconds. He is witty, wistful and very open about how his songs come together.
Last night’s set was a mixture of performances that ran the full gamut from solo acoustic to three piece band. Josh’s stage presence is understated and he is clearly very confident in his own abilities. Yet little moments of deviance from the orthodox set this show apart from just another guy with a guitar. Midway through his first song, he stepped away from the microphone, unplugged his guitar and let rip. How easily this truly unplugged segment of the show filled the whole venue is testament to the power in his voice.
A word must be said about the two men who accompanied Josh onstage. One played bass guitar and drums simultaneously, the other played several different guitars and keyboard in various combinations. These were considerably talented men with both feverish energy and a soft touch, depending on what the mood of the song called for. Watching the three of them breakout during Underwater was something else. Other highlights included an unplugged medley of Bob Dylans’ Don’t Think Twice and Tom Petty’s Won’t Back Down as the encore.
For all his talent, Joshua Radin’s best quality is still his proficiency as a storyteller through song. His voice is ethereal, his musicianship is world class and his stage presence lacks nothing. But at the end of the day, people will return to Joshua Radin concerts time and again because his music transports you. It gently strips away the worries from your weary mind and then gradually builds you up and gives you hope, which is what all good music should do.
