To see him before the crowd it’s hard to image Dan Sultan suffering a crisis of confidence.
However, this tour represents somewhat of a new beginning for the Melbourne artist, one which sees him emerge from self-doubt to become his own man. On this night (Eatons Hill Hotel July 5) he was here to play a rock & roll show; and after overcoming a somewhat muddy mix early in the set that’s exactly what he and his band did. And they did it well.
© Sam McKimmAlready noted for his energetic and full-hearted performances, his ability to draw people in was remarkable with many old rockers mixed with young folk lovers. Dressed in black jeans, white singlet and a black jacket with an Aboriginal flag pin fixed to his lapel, Sultan and his band rolled through the opening tracks of ‘Blackbird’ warming up slowing before the sound seemed to kick in fully for ‘Ain’t Thinking About You’.
Usually a four-piece, for this show he had a six-piece band with him – although the stage seemed a bit small given the extra brass players, with bassist Josh Jones relegated to a back left corner. That didn’t really put anyone off however, and the band were tight, proving the adage if you want success, surround yourself with successful people.
While a rock show, Sultan’s “lived in” voice — seemingly marinated in hard brown liquor and cigarettes — is just as adept at soulful ballads, and his vocals at the start of ‘It Belongs To Us’ made people stand up straight to listen. The delivery of ‘Old Fitzroy’ similarly showed the variations in his songwriting and singing.
© Sam McKimmA now customary closer for Sultan is an epic rendition of ‘Your Love Is Like A Song’ – the whole show feels like it’s building to this crescendo; a rising wave of guitar, flashing lights and all-out vocals.
This continued into the encore with ‘Letter’ before closing out the night for good with ‘Kimberley Calling’, a song that manages to combine the personal and political, and wraps itself up as an Aussie rock ballad of old.
