Photo: Jamie Williams
Sydney’s State Theatre was mostly hustle and bustle when Ethiopian-born and Finnish singer-songwriter Mirel Wagner graced the stage solace with an acoustic guitar as she fixed herself to a lone stool. A wealth of applause filled the room as she announced her impending ballads, and the chatter reignited. Wagner fought through hundreds of patrons rummaging through the foyer and finding their seats but her daunting tones resonated extremely well with the tenderness of her lyricism.
The transition between Wagner and the three bad boys was seamless. With over a quarter century of musicianship, amphetamines, touring and acclaim from Nick Cave, there couldn’t be room for disappointment – rightfully so. Like myself, aware of their studio material but unaware of how well they perform live, I was in for a treat. Axeman Mick Turner, percussionist Jim White and front man Warren Ellis, who was the embodiment of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung, bellowed out from stage left as Ellis began providing the audience with some anecdotal evidence of the band’s history as they gear up. Ellis recounts one of their earliest performances in Sydney involving a mop-bucket as a prop and drinking too much ‘purple drank’, where the group were told that they ‘were never going to play this town again’ – two decades on sees a sold-out show for Sydney Festival. ‘1,000 Miles’ left the audience in awe of the ambient conception.
The chemistry between these men is almost unbelievable. What they’re able to achieve amongst the ensemble added with a few looping and modulation pedals had veteran fans leaving their seats to dance at the stage’s end and groove with the men themselves. Jim White expressed flair when necessary but kept pulse at a constant – poly-rhythmically interweaving through the band’s intricate accents and exploring their variety of styles, beating regularly with mallets as opposed to standard drumsticks.
Turner remained mute for the most part of the performance, refraining from engaging in the others’ dialogue – cocked at 9 o’clock for the night, rarely switching his stance. Juxtaposed against Ellis and his thrilling stage antics – yelling on accents, launching off chairs and pulsating to their own works. Their program ranged from most of their catalogue, but had focussed on their plethora of 2015 releases. Ellis behind the violin left behind a trail of atmospheric wizardry, piercing the wall of sound perfectly, balancing the ambience of the trio’s work to fill the gaps. Blazing harmonics and delicate pizzicato was as much a luxury to the ear as the light show for the eye.
Dedicating songs to David Bowie, Christy Moore and Stevie Wright, their set list remained open-ended as the crowd poured out suggestions towards the show’s close, each piece harnessing its own climatic touch which left fans astonished. All three play their roles respectively, each in their own world creating a significant part to a whole in which Dirty Three comes alive. Seeing a show have such an illuminative aspect will most likely stay in my mind forever. If you’re ever fortunate enough to see Dirty Three perform live – take the opportunity, it’s something you won’t regret – or forget.
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