The Revival Tour @ The Annandale 23/04/2010
April 30th 2010 03:01
Chuck Ragan (ex Hot Water Music) devised this tour back in 2008. Getting together with friends and artists to play shows not just as separate acts but as a touring group playing each others songs. Bringing it out to Australia for the first time with long time participants Tim Barry and Ben Nichols with the inclusion of folk troubadour Frank Turner. The expectation for the night was 3 hours of great songs played by talented songwriters.
The night started with all four on stage taking turns to play a song each, before Tim Barry was left to perform his set. The Avail frontman took the stage on his own playing his brand of punk folk. Tim is a brilliant story teller. Whether it was about a friend of his in prison for shooting the man who was abusing his sister or about the history of his home town, Tim Barry’s music is honest and raw.
Ben Nichols from Lucero took over the stage. Sadly, the crowd thought this was the best time to go out for a smoke or go to the bar and missed a solid set from the gravel throat singer. Taking advantage of the uses of the supports Todd Beane and Jon Gaunt to give his songs more flavour. Joined by Chuck Ragan on harmonica, Ben Nichols amazed me with the quality of his music.
Chuck Ragan returns to the Annandale after blowing audiences away last year with Tom Gabel. Playing tracks from his albums “Feast and Famine” and last years “Gold Country”, the highlight was when he brought out ...Like Alaska’s Jen Buxtom to sing ‘Geraldine’ before giving her the stage to play one of her bands new tracks. The one thing about Chuck Ragan is the power of his voice seems out of place for folk music, yet it’s what draws you to his music. And even though the Revival tour is his project, he understands that a lot of the crowd were here to see for the first time Frank Turner, so left the stage to let him headline the show, not before they performed Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times Are A Changing’.
Playing mostly from his album “Love Ire & Song”, Frank had the whole room singing along with drunken carefree abandon and we only paused as he sung, unaccompanied, a traditional English tune. It’s the environment that Frank’s songs should be played in. A crowded pub where everyone was having a good time, singing and shouting and creating the kind of atmosphere I would liken to an pub in Dublin. Hearing songs like ‘Long Live The Queen’ and ‘I Knew Purfock Before He Was Famous’ were a highlight for fans who have waited for Frank Turner to tour. (a headlining tour soon wouldn’t go astray though!)
All four returned for a final song each ending with Chuck’s ‘California Burritos’ and Frank’s anthemic ‘Photosynthesis’. The whole evening was a celebration. The guys looked like they were having fun, the crowd were having fun and the whole vibe was positive and welcoming. The goals that Chuck Ragan had for the Revival tour were certainly coming to fruition. One of the most enjoyable gigs I’ve been to in a while.
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