Last Friday, Ash Grunwald visited the Gold Coast with Mark Crotti supporting him.
It was a pretty easy setup – two guys, their guitars and various other noise making devices. What could possibly go wrong? (Spoiler alert: Things were not going to go smoothly)Miami Marketta was buzzing (29 November). The food venders were keeping the crowds fed and another musician was entertaining some of the punters on the stage in the laneway section. The doors to Studio 56 were due to open at 7pm and the eager 'Grunwaldians' (not a thing, but I am going to go with it) were vying for the best spot near the entrance.
It was 6.59pm when the power went out. We got it back for a second then there was a pop and the emergency lights kicked in. There was a collective murmuring of 'what the duck?' as we wondered if volume on Ash's setup had been turned up to 11 and that had caused the outage.
After much running around, contingency planning and theories (surely, we could not blame this on Gold Coast Schoolies), we found out that a power pole and a car had an altercation nearby. The result was about a thousand premises being blacked out.
Ash Grunwald was super keen to entertain the crowd no matter what it took. There was talk of an acoustic set lit by tealight candles. Although this did not actually happen, it did sound like an awesome idea. (Next tour maybe?)
The doors had been pushed to 8.30pm and everyone sat with fingers crossed. At 8.05pm everything roared back to life. Some equipment checks were done and we soon were in front of the stage with Mark Crotti warming up the somewhat bewildered crowd.
Crotti had shortened his set due to the evening's events, but we still got a taste of his unique blend of folk, soul and indie rock. His Spotify profile described him as 'the only Australian folk singer who doesn't wear linen pants or sing about the ocean'. The pants checked out and the stories of dolphins and sharks were left to Ash.
It was a lovely set, which gave us a taste of Mark's blissful vocals and warm, honest lyrics as he strummed away on his guitar.
Mark Crotti - image © Radical Imaging Photography
It was amazing how quickly things happen when the power is being pumped back into a venue. After a short break, Ash was onstage along with his multiple guitars and various percussion devices (including a stompbox) that he operates with his feet.
Ash is a chilled-out guy. His 'surf by day, jam by night' ethos was on display amongst the chaos this Friday night had thrown at him. We were treated to an awesome set that covered his musical achievements so far.
The storytelling aspect of his songwriting was on display as we heard about the ocean, (if only he had the linen pants), sea creatures and the 1976 Coaster van that would carry the surfboards to the beach. We get powerful vocals that complement his guitar work perfectly and we experience the charisma and sense of humour that have made Ash such a crowd favourite.
Ash Grunwald - image © Radical Imaging Photography
When Ash does a cover version he puts his unique spin on it. 'Human' by Rag'n'Bone Man gets the unique blues feel and 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley is transformed with Ash's interpretation including an ear-melting guitar solo.
We get a taste of his collaboration with The Teskey Brothers and the blues music is complemented by his awesome slide guitar technique. 'Ain't My Problem' showcased yet another musical style that Ash delivers to his shows.
Some awesome tracks from 2013 album 'Gargantua' (well that was my introduction to them) get the crowd moving as we get a taste of high-energy guitar playing complemented by a foot-stomping rhythm. No tales of the 'Skywriter', but we did get to feel the 'Mojo' and 'Smokestack Lightning' that bring a frenetic energy to his show as the tempo builds and the crowd sways.
Ash Grunwald - image © Radical Imaging Photography
It is an awesome set and Ash leaves us wanting more with a fantastic version of 'Breakout'. After a night like this, Ash may well want to breakout of the Gold Coast region (and it's troublesome drivers) but we hope he returns soon.
More photos from the concert.
