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The Man in Black
May. 22nd, 2010 10:03 amLast night, we saw The Man in Black, Tex Perkins's lanky, greasy-haired, suit wearing tribute to his idol, Johnny Cash.
We had centre front row seats at the Athenaeum, so close that our knees brushed the stage, the foldback monitors blocked our view, and every time Tex left his mic stand wobbling I was afraid it was going to fall on me. Our necks we sore from craning back to see, but you couldn't get closer to the band without standing on stage.
The set was just a black backdrop, the instruments for the backing band, a pair of old fashioned square mics, and a stool on either side of the stage.
Backing band The Tennessee Four came on in darkness, and kicked off 'I Walk The Line'. The lights went up. Tex loped onto stage, dressed in a sharp black suit, strumming a battered acoustic guitar.
Look, I don't claim to be an expert on either Cash or Perkins. But hearing these songs played live, with Tex's deep voice and long-legged charisma was fantastic.
After the first few songs, he brought out Rachael Tidd to be his June Carter stand-in. Between songs they retold the story of Cash's life, from his cotton-pickin' youth, through the Folsom Prison concert, to the death of June, 'Hurt', and the last song Cash ever sang live, 'Ring of Fire'.
So it was a bit more of show than a straight concert. Tidd and Perkins shared an easy, joking chemistry, and the narration put the songs in a context. It was a little strange to see Tex Perkins, the wild man of Australian rock, the Beast of Bourbon himself, telling daggy scripted jokes. But his love for Cash was obvious, and infectious.
The show reminded me of Shaun Micallef's recent show "Good Evening: The Sketches of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore". It shared the same pleasure of seeing an experienced performer come full circle, confident enough in their own achievements that they can subsume themselves into a tribute to the artists that inspired them.
The band came back to play 'Long Legged Guitar Pickin Man' for the encore, and then a medley of Cash's hits. As they took their final bow, Perkins brought out a little six-year old girl, who was obviously terrified to be on stage. She hid behind his legs, and then covered her face with her hands. I'm not sure if she was his daughter, or Rachael Tidd's, but she was very cute.
As everyone was leaving, I peered over the foldback speakers, trying to see if there was a setlist. Instead, Tex had the lyrics to 'Man in Black' written out for him. Oops.
A great show.
Here, have a taste: Tex Perkins, Rachael Tidd and the Tennessee Four performing 'Jackson'.
And just because it's exquisite: Johnny Cash, 'Hurt'
We had centre front row seats at the Athenaeum, so close that our knees brushed the stage, the foldback monitors blocked our view, and every time Tex left his mic stand wobbling I was afraid it was going to fall on me. Our necks we sore from craning back to see, but you couldn't get closer to the band without standing on stage.
The set was just a black backdrop, the instruments for the backing band, a pair of old fashioned square mics, and a stool on either side of the stage.
Backing band The Tennessee Four came on in darkness, and kicked off 'I Walk The Line'. The lights went up. Tex loped onto stage, dressed in a sharp black suit, strumming a battered acoustic guitar.
Look, I don't claim to be an expert on either Cash or Perkins. But hearing these songs played live, with Tex's deep voice and long-legged charisma was fantastic.
After the first few songs, he brought out Rachael Tidd to be his June Carter stand-in. Between songs they retold the story of Cash's life, from his cotton-pickin' youth, through the Folsom Prison concert, to the death of June, 'Hurt', and the last song Cash ever sang live, 'Ring of Fire'.
So it was a bit more of show than a straight concert. Tidd and Perkins shared an easy, joking chemistry, and the narration put the songs in a context. It was a little strange to see Tex Perkins, the wild man of Australian rock, the Beast of Bourbon himself, telling daggy scripted jokes. But his love for Cash was obvious, and infectious.
The show reminded me of Shaun Micallef's recent show "Good Evening: The Sketches of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore". It shared the same pleasure of seeing an experienced performer come full circle, confident enough in their own achievements that they can subsume themselves into a tribute to the artists that inspired them.
The band came back to play 'Long Legged Guitar Pickin Man' for the encore, and then a medley of Cash's hits. As they took their final bow, Perkins brought out a little six-year old girl, who was obviously terrified to be on stage. She hid behind his legs, and then covered her face with her hands. I'm not sure if she was his daughter, or Rachael Tidd's, but she was very cute.
As everyone was leaving, I peered over the foldback speakers, trying to see if there was a setlist. Instead, Tex had the lyrics to 'Man in Black' written out for him. Oops.
A great show.
Here, have a taste: Tex Perkins, Rachael Tidd and the Tennessee Four performing 'Jackson'.
And just because it's exquisite: Johnny Cash, 'Hurt'
