The Cruel Sea played Gold Coast on Sunday (7 July), bringing a stellar back catalogue of quality songs and instrumentals.
These guys have been a key feature of the Australian music scene for well over three decades, starting out with a focus on instrumental music, mainly surf-influenced, before Tex Perkins joined as the band's singer in the late '80s.Shortly thereafter followed their huge, and highly awarded album 'The Honeymoon Is Over' in 1993, which provided the 1994 ARIA Awards Single Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and was also awarded Album Of The Year. Little wonder therefore the band was also won Best Group at the '94 ARIA Awards.
There's plenty more great music, but obviously a lot of their fame comes from this era. In this context, in a recent interview, Perkins was asked to respond as to how to keep the show fresh.
Not having played as a group for almost a decade before the end of 2023, Tex talked of a new-found affection for the music which is keeping it fresh. He notes they haven't been "on the grind", so they're happy to play the songs that can in some ways act as a millstone, and "suddenly it doesn't sh.t you so much and everyone can enjoy it".
Tex also notes he likes the band to do instrumental pieces, as it is important to reflect on the band's history. The guys have supported some huge acts; I first saw them at the MCG supporting The Rolling Stones on their Voodoo Lounge tour in 1995, quite a different location from tonight's Miami Marketta on Gold Coast.
The Cruel Sea - image © Bill Prendergast
The guys are also booked as support for the huge Cold Chisel tour later this year, again reflecting their legendary status within the local industry.
After three great support acts, all locally based, The Cruel Sea appeared. The four instrumentalists were seen onstage, and started with 'Shadder' from 1991. It is a very surf-soaked instrumental, similar to the music of The Ventures who had influenced much of their pre-Tex music.
Tex then appeared at the side of the stage, cutting an impressive figure in the dark before leaping onto the stage. His first song with the band was 'Anybody But You' from 1995. It's a great warm up, and really typical of their oeuvre.
The Cruel Sea - image © Bill Prendergast
The infamous 'Delivery Man' follows, as Tex notes "I don't know what it's about," and shrugs his shoulders. 'Too Fast For Me' follows, and Tex is all over the place, his arms flailing around wildly.
Both guitarists are using their slides, one glass (on the beautiful Mason acoustic), the other metal (on the electric guitar) giving that real jangly, metallic slide feel for which the band is famed.
The Cruel Sea - image © Bill Prendergast
Tex then makes a few politically-incorrect comments, and states this one is for the Queensland Police Force (who admittedly had a very different reputation in the early to mid 1990s). Before singing, he states this is Dan (Rumour)'s band, and he is ultimately responsible for everything.
We move into 'Better Get A Lawyer', and there is an extended bass guitar piece as Tex makes various suggestive poses as he sings the line about the soap. Of course the crowd is wild with passion at this point, when Tex notes the band will play a song – another instrumental – while he departs the stage for a moment (I think he worded it slightly differently, and less politely!).
The band plays another surf-infused instrumental, 'Navigate'. Then Tex reappears, and they move through 'Straight Into The Sun'; it's a quiet piece, and Tex is much more retrained as a result. I really enjoyed the rendition.
'Woman With Soul' follows, with an almost lounge feel, and guitarist Matt Walker is playing piano at the start, then a hammond organ type sound midway through the song. 'Black Stick' is one of their best-known pieces, and the crowd loves it when Walker plays those initial notes and slide piece from the introduction.
The Cruel Sea - image © Bill Prendergast
The bass really slows the piece down, and Tex sings a verse of 'In The Jungle' over the music before moving back to the original lyrics. Late in the song, Tex is almost growling "I could be your whole world," over and over.
Their best-known song follows, 'The Honeymoon Is Over'; it's a much louder and harder start, and Tex changes some of the lines to a more fruity lyric – this is probably the most-appreciated song for the evening.
The two slide guitars lead us into the lovely 'This Is Not The Way Home', which has a real country feel courtesy of the drumbeat and slide guitars, and as the piece progresses I'm reminded of some of Ry Cooder's beautiful 'Paris, Texas' work.
After a brief interlude, the boys appear for the encore which kicks off with '4', another lovely instrumental – in my view not quite up to the quality of the opening 'Shadder'. 'Blame It On The Moon' was lovely and another chance for Tex to strike various unusual and sultry poses while singing.
The Cruel Sea - image © Bill Prendergast
Tex then highlighted they would go off script for the last piece, for a song not showing on their set list. Tex states this was one they wrote in the 1980s, "you know the '80s, '80s," Tex notes, as if assuring its authenticity.
The song is 'Down Below'. It kicks off with yet another surf-infused guitar sound, and was really one of my favourite pieces for the evening.
Before The Cruel Sea hit the stage, we were treated to some exciting local music as part of the Miami Street Art Festival, SURFACE. First up was local act Calypso Cora from the Northern Rivers region of NSW.
This band was extremely youthful, (bassist Finn Condon told me he was 19!), and are all friends fresh out of school. They have already toured with Ben Lee and Xavier Rudd (band member Finojet Rudd is Xavier's son), so will gain a huge benefit through supporting these bigger acts.
The group played a range of songs from their upcoming EP, and a great cover of the Rolling Stones' 'Miss You', which morphed into their own 'Chasing Catfish'. Drummer Lucia Stewart provided some great beats, and a stomp-like entrance to one of the later pieces. The set finished on one of their best-known pieces, 'Lillies'.
Calypso Cora - image © Bill Prendergast
They were followed by Karl S. Williams, another locally-based act. Karl played as a duo, with drummer Sally Higgins. They kicked off with a real bluesy feel, Karl playing the keyboard on the piece, before moving onto the electric guitar for the bulk of the remainder of the set.
During the second song he broke a string, and incredibly he did not replace the string for the rest of the set. He had an amazing playing style, not using a plectrum, strumming the guitar but also plucking it strongly with his index finger, all the while singing the music.
As I listened I couldn't pigeon-hole the music beyond blues, and I subsequently saw him noted as 'genre-defying' – it really was an apt term, the only music I could find any similarity was Eric Clapton (without the long solos), and maybe Cream.
I put this to Karl after the show, and he agreed, putting his influences down to Nina Simone and a passion for Led Zeppelin. I thought it was a great blues set, and some of the punters to whom I spoke after his set strongly agreed.
Karl S. Williams - image © Bill Prendergast
The last support act was Ash Grunwald, who tours relentlessly, and I last saw in June 2023 at the Currumbin RSL. Grunwald kicks off by saying how honoured he is to appear before The Cruel Sea, highlighting he is a massive, massive fan! Ash warmed up the crowd by getting them to chant the lyrics of 'Hammer'.
His technique is of course incredible. He is onstage alone, sitting on his kick-box, playing his guitar. As he plays 'Ain't My Problem', he has at least four things going on at all times; the vocals, his kick-box (which I love!), the bassline which he plays throughout on the lower notes, and the slide/ strumming/ lead guitar. It's quite amazing, and of course gives the feel of a much larger band supporting him.
Grunwald is joined onstage later in the set by Alex Lloyd, who sang an intimate piece, snuggled around the shared mic. Grunwald again tells us of his love of The Cruel Sea, before moving into the final song, a Tom Waits cover, which is therefore likely to be highly eclectic.
Ash Grunwald - image © Bill Prendergast
'Goin' Out West' is the piece, and Grunwald really works into a frenzy, with aggressive strumming and wild movement of the slide, which is so hard to do on an electric guitar. Yet again Grunwald has set a high bar, with great music, incredible skills and playing style, and a highly defined visual stage presence.
More photos from the concert.
