Last night I traipsed into the Academy to see Xavier Rudd in concert. I’d love to know where people find out about guys like this but I suspect the answer is Phantom FM. I found out about him on an ice-climbing video on YouTube. Truly the internet, when it is not being peopled by halfbrained twerps, is a wonderful thing.
So to the Academy. I remember it when it was called HQ. I don’t think I once set foot in it while it was called Spirit, but I have to say it doesn’t look too different now to how it looked the last time I was in there; an awfully long time ago. Still has one hell of a sound system and the occasional concert gem by the looks of things.
Xavier Rudd is an Australian dude who does the odd bit of blues, and the odd bit of reggae. Last night, I have to say, he was more in reggae mode than blues mode and for me, this was slightly disappointing because I prefer – by some distance – his blues stuff to his reggae stuff. With one or two exceptions, he didn’t play so much of a set that I knew or preferred.
You can’t argue with his talent though – he’s one hell of a guitarist, and he’d a very talented band with him. And the reaction he got from the crowd was pretty exceptional. I don’t often see anything like it in any concert.
Key song for me last night was Messages about half way through the set. He didn’t play GBA which is still my favourite of his output.
Gig was well worth going to for all that.
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