Live Review: Harts Plays Hendrix

Darren Hart, aka Harts, treats hometown Melbourne fans to the first of his Plays Hendrix shows. It is a huge undertaking to take on one of rock music’s iconic songbooks, written by one of the greatest players the world has seen. Hart, who was famously mentored by Prince, is perfectly placed to provide this tribute, which comes with the Hendrix estate’s seal of approval.

Tonight, Harts harnesses the elemental power of a basic three-piece, Hart himself looking retro in psychedelic red and wielding his axe like a weapon. Power To Love kicks off the show in fine style, with Hart putting on an amazing display of musicianship while taking the time to pull some classic guitar hero poses.

The lure of Hendrix draws out ageing boomers in droves. Each song draws a gasp of recognition from the crowd, who are clearly in a nostalgic mood. Flawless versions of Crosstown Traffic, Foxy Lady and Hey Joe almost perfectly hit the spot. Superjesus’ Sarah McLeod, who's simply beaming, guests to deliver vocals on the classic All Along The Watchtower. 

Hart relaxes on Red House - professing his love for Hendrix’s music, he shows us the licks he learnt from watching old footage of the master playing live. Improvising on the bluesy riffs, Hart reflects that while he’s played a lot of funk and rock, this is his first time really playing the blues. He wishes the idiom would swing itself back into the mainstream.

With the first half of the set out of the way, the band leaves the stage and Hart mixes Hendrix’s vocals into a trippy electronic mix before quietly riffing. This approach yields idiosyncratic and ghostly introspective versions of Love Or Confusion and the amazing The Wind Cries Mary. The gig picks up with the band returning for Little Wing. On each tune Hart’s guitar shines brightly in the mix. Nkechi Anele drops guest vocals on a fine version of Fire, but it is classics like Purple Haze and Voodoo Chile that absolutely rip things up and set fire to the night. Strangely, the crowd start to leave, not expecting an encore. Thankfully fans who just can’t get enough keep cheering and they are rewarded with a psychedelic solo guitar version of Advance Australia Fair, a clear nod to Hendrix’s volatile take on The Star Spangled Banner. After this burst of patriotism, Rock Me Baby seemingly blurs into Wild Thing, which Hendrix famously covered at Monterey. This was Harts biggest gig to date and quite possibly a pivotal moment in his career.