“This tour is a last chance to put everything I've learned over the last few years into practice and see the songs played in their full capacity before I put the album to rest.”
So said Chet Faker when he announced his last round of Australian dates before he sets off to win the hearts and minds of the world beyond his native shores. And boy, did he deliver on that promise on Saturday night (31 October).
Playing at Brisbane’s Riverstage on Halloween may be an auspicious date and setting for some, but for his merry band of followers and the man himself, it proved to be a blessing.
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Decked out in ambient lighting, the stage was set for Chet and his sombre tones, but not before some banging support acts had had their time. Silicon and Awesome Tapes From America took to the stage while setting the stage for the main attraction, building the ambience with their subtle grooves and all-encompassing sounds.
Image © Daniel FosterThe main act began around 8. Mostly on stage by himself, Faker seemed a tiny being in amongst the enormity of the Riverstage and its surrounds, but his vocal ability soon outshone the physical imbalance at play.
He almost seems more comfortable singing than conversing with the audience. However, when he does speak, his soft but distinctly Australian voice can barely be heard over the noises of the night.
Rhythmically, Chet Faker’s music can often begin to meld into one, sonorous song of three chords, an event which can have quite an hypnotic effect. As a live performance, the intensity of the backing music kept the set from becoming too languid, and Faker’s movements while singing kept the visuals from stagnating. Not a dancer, he merely moves to the sounds he creates, swaying to and fro in his place.
Image © Daniel FosterPersonally not an enormous Chet Faker fan, his professionalism and ability to recreate his studio recordings in a live setting were the most impressive aspects of the night. Drawing on songs from both his original EP and debut record, his renditions were almost crystal-clear reproductions of the complex recordings, his voice absolutely living up to live performance, something which can be the downfall of an artist.
The crowd responded enthusiastically, with lit-up phones waving in the sky, and enormous ovations at the end of crowd-pleasing Triple J enamoured songs such as ‘Talk Is Cheap’.
Not many artists can pull off a great show at the Riverstage – the setting can be so specific and the acoustics so unpredictable that sometimes the show, however great the artist is, cannot be pulled off.
Image © Daniel FosterLuckily, on this Halloween night, Chet Faker and his wonderful back-up singers, support acts and additional accoutrement smacked it out of the park, bringing together some groovy sounds and lighting design to pair perfectly with the already cracking back catalogue of the soft crooner.
Chet Faker has already made Australia fall in love with him, now for the rest of the world.
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