It was a dreary and rainy night in Sydney as fans clustered to see Xavier Rudd & The United Nations play The Metro (21 March).
Rudd’s new, musical adventure is a celebration of diversity, culture and freedom. Featuring artists from South Africa, Samoa, Germany, Papua New Guinea and indigenous Australia, it was a joyous and uplifting celebration that unified diverse races and musical styles.
The stage was festooned with colour, fabric, feathers and the Aboriginal flag. The crowd that sold out The Metro was similarly diverse, and the rain couldn’t dampen their enthusiasm.
Click here for photos from the show.
Yeshe opened the gig playing an instrument fashioned from a Zimbabwean pumpkin, playing 'An Eye For An Eye'. The bearded, beaded and dreadlocked crowd listened, mesmerised to his cover of 'No Woman No Cry', and to his ethereal, haunting rendition of the moody, jazz classic 'Summertime'.
Yeshe - Image © Kim Rudner
Then the dreaminess of the mood created by Yeshe gave way to Xavier Rudd & The United Nations’ uplifting, energetic, dub-reggae-party vibes. Playing tracks from their new album, 'Nanna', the band’s two female singers, guitar, bass, horns, flutes, percussion and drums gave it their all.
Xavier Rudd & The United Nations - Image © Kim Rudner
Cloudy reverb, colourful dub, at times dreamy, at times bouncy, Rudd & The United Nations bewitched the crowd with their new track ‘Come People’. They played ‘Follow The Sun’ and the crowd sang along without restraint. Alternating vocals with guitar, mouth organ, and didgeridoo, Rudd urged the crowd to follow the sun and breathe in the air. It was a musical homage to empathy, freedom, unity and feathers.
Xavier Rudd & The United Nations - Image © Kim Rudner
The flute created a dreamy, sonic background for a beautiful, haunting solo by one of the back-up singers. The crowd went from raucous clapping, cheering and whistling to reverent silence. You could have heard a pin drop. It seemed she was singing of tribal power, of belief, faith in humanity and prayer to nature. Then the band exploded back into dub beats and dancing, and the crowd followed. Harnessing the vibe they covered Cyndi Lauper’s 'Time After Time' and the crowd sang blissfully off key.
Xavier Rudd & The United Nations - Image © Kim Rudner
The gig was the perfect antidote to a grey, rainy night in Sydney. Xavier Rudd & The United Nations got me ready to summon my spirit animal for next time I’ll see them, playing in their element at Bluesfest.
Click here for photos from the show.
