Live Review: Gary Clark Jr, Hamish Anderson

Byron Bay Bluesfest prides itself on a consistently jaw-dropping line-up year after year. It brings great joy to anyone going and a vicious case of FOMO for anyone missing out, so kudos to whoever came up with the terrific little thing called a “sideshow".

Opening the show was Melbourne-born, now LA-resident Hamish Anderson and anyone who hadn’t heard of him before won’t forget his name after his blistering performance. Backed by a tight rhythm section, Anderson’s songwriting is fresh and galvanising, threaded with a muscular blues-rock feel that had toes tapping and bodies swaying, even in the seated-only Perth Concert Hall. Standout songs were Trouble, Breaking Down and the heart-wrenching U.

Gary Clark Jr and his band took the darkened stage with Bright Lights (from 2012’s Blak And Blu), the tempo and energy increasing as the lighting intensified. Ain’t Messin ’Round followed, the first song from this year’s album This Land. If there were doubts in anyone’s mind that Clark didn't own this new direction, they had to have been put to rest by his live take of I Walk Alone followed by What About Us - his vocal range, even his famed falsetto, seemingly unaffected by this southern hemisphere whistle-stop tour. 

Whether it was the soulful When I’m Gone, the rallying cry of Feed The Babies and This Land, the reggae-infused Feelin’ Like A Million, the stripped-back Things Are Changin’ or the out-and-out blues of When My Train Pulls In, Clark's phenomenal guitar playing was the star of the night. His superb touring band complemented his singing and playing, stripping it right back one moment, a driving wall of sound the next, but always in sync and energetic, even through the three-song encore.

Much as Clark's earlier raw and gritty blues-rock sound was loved by his fans, this new direction needs to be taken very seriously and this concert perfectly backs that up. The blues are still there, maybe not as raw as his earlier sound, but every bit as passionate and honest. Clark and his band gave us a sophisticated, densely layered concert with lyrics that were confessional at times, a paean for social justice at others. Despite his successes, Clark seemed unaffected by it, down to earth, humble and moved by this Perth crowd’s love.