Yes- live music is back! In celebration of the release of their eponymous debut album last month, Whiteford booked a room, brought along a mate, put some local and intrastate dignitaries on the door, and celebrated with some hard-core fans at “Sydney’s premier boutique entertainment venue” right opposite World Square in the heart of the CBD. Hard core because the weather wasn’t conducive to travelling in from the wild West; this punter travelled for 4hr in and out to be here tonight- when I saw the trains were being replaced by buses I thought it would be easier to drive in. But I didn’t .. travails make an event so much better!
The owners of the venue had obviously put some serious thought into the room prior to the whole place shutting down because of the plague but, now, the lighting, sound, and general set-up of the venue is more inviting than a “boutique entertainment venue” would have you thinking. They have updated as much as they have retained and the setting is quite intimate for a room licensed for 350!
Mal Salman warmed up the early-arrivals with some acoustic originals and a couple of covers; he did justice to a Placebo cover and one of his originals, toward the end, had a Bowie/Space Oddity-cum-Oasis feel to it. He admitted that (like every other performing act in the world) he hadn’t played in a long time and, to be honest, I thought he would have been better for playing with a whole band. Watch this space.
As I mentioned in my review last month, I have known Nathan (who now goes by Zarz) for more than 25 years and it was only through his tenacity, Stalkbook skills, and a mutual friend that we reconnected. I am so glad that he did because his abilities as a musician, singer, songwriter, performer, and just sheer hard-worker, have brought him ahead in so many leaps and bounds that I hardly recognise him anymore. I have seen him a couple of times now: at the Quakers Inn with Altiyan Childs and guests, and at the launch of the “She Joins Love” single at the Bull & Bush Hotel two years ago, as a streamed / live-to-radio performance for SWR 99.9FM in September 2018 at the Ettamogah Hotel, and as part of a Battle of the Bands competition that November at Tate’s of Windsor.
Zarz, Shorty, Kypo, and Nate are so incredibly tight, which you would expect to happen over a time. My comment on Zuckerbook, that these guys don’t suck, was my first reaction to each time I have seen them and, from the opening of Dirty Baby through Nathan’s favourite Pearl Jam / Neil Young song Rockin’ in the Free World” to the crowd-favourite closer I’m Alright last night, the boys had us eating it all up. Listening, as I write this, to the Ettamogah set (that featured another drummer altogether), Zarz has used the two intervening years well to loosen up and train his vocal chords and to get the band working so well together. Finishing any set with I’m Alright is always going to be a big ask! But we all love it! It’s the earworm that we leave the album with and it’s one of my personal favourites from his canon (although a friend of Zarz’s and I agree that he should rework and re-release some of the old FADE tracks with the benefit of his experience and today’s recording technology).
Click on some of these live-set links, check out the records, or do what I did and part with your hard earned in support of a great artist- Zarz has been doing this for a long time and with your support, he and his band will be able to continue to do so.