Winter flashes its teeth with a vicious bite around the ICC Sydney, where international firestorm Billy Strings brings his five piece of string slingers to shred the night away.
Entering with a bang (17 July), the band are off and running with 'Taking Water', the huge crowd here to party along the ride. "Listen for the echo of your long forgotten dream," Strings sings from 'Long Forgotten Dream', and it's clear his voice is a more than suitable companion for his guitar proficiency.'Bronzeback' is pensive before picking up, as the string players stand each atop their rugs, the focus jumping between the mandolin, banjo and strings. A fiddle and double bass round out the quintet, as the crowd bounce along.
'Away From The Mire' is sentimental amid the strumming ferocity, the lights dancing across the stage as quick as the picks flying across the strings. Billy takes a moment with his highly affected guitar, leaning forward on his tippy toes and closing his eyes. "Well thanks a lot," he says at the song's conclusion.
"I've always wanted to come here since I saw that Opera House in a textbook at school," he shares. "I'll play a little song here that mostly changed my life," he says of 'Rank Stranger', a cute little diddy that is a cover of The Stanley Brothers' original.
"See we really like trains, so we sing about them," Strings announces for 'The Streamlined Cannonball'. The mandolin plays fast as a rattling bolt on a railcar, and excellence is never far from a moment here tonight.
"Y'all feelin' good?" Strings asks, as if he needs to. More solos ensue, each one somehow fresh under the pink and red lights. What follows is undoubtedly the best banjo solo almost anyone here will ever hear in their lifetime.
'10,000 Miles From A Friend' is heartbreaking under pink lights that dissolve into purple, and the crowd are decidedly rowdy for a Thursday night. 'Fire Line' is dark and brooding as the digitally affected violin plays. Strings' guitar is also affected by numerous pedals, his acoustic turning into the sound of a Telecaster.
The first set ends with an appropriate firestorm of notes from Strings in 'Reuben's Train', as the band take a break. The second set commences with the gang gathered around one microphone, the fiddle shining through. Strings takes a solo song a cappella, and the air hangs with anticipation as he belts his all.
An alternative cover of 'Summertime' has never shined so bright, as Strings' hair blows in the wind of his fan while he huddles over his guitar breathing out notes upon notes. 'In The Morning Light' is a moment in time, switching between heartbreaking lyricism and shredding guitar. A real stand out.
Strings encounters momentary technical difficulties, declaring "third time's the charm, I swear to god," as the crowd giggle. The rest of the set floats between fury and fiery feelings, guitar licks and shreds never far away. The crowd drink it all in, loving the exceptional show of virtuosity before them.
Billy Strings and his pack are exceptionally talented and have spent years knowing their instruments inside out. If you grab a ticket for the Strings Express, you better buckle up because this show doesn't slow down.
