RON SEXSMITH in Australia-November 2015

[charlene]

BIG NEWS: Ron Sexsmith and band return to Australia in November, tix on sale July 22 via Tombowler Entertainment:
November 20 - Mullumbimby Music Festival, Mullumbimby
November 21 - Newtown Social Club, Sydney
November 23 - The Basement Sydney, Sydney
November 25 - Rosemount Hotel, Perth
November 27 - Caravan Music Club, Melbourne
November 28 - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
November 29 - Queenscliff Music Festival, Queenscliff

[joveski]

might check that one out. i'm going to ed kuepper gigs every thursday at the northcote social club. only 10 minutes away from my house!

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

From the Hugh's Room videos, it's clear that Ron Sexsmith is a class act and a big Lightfoot fan. I'd love to see him performing in Melbourne (especially at the intimate Caravan Music Club where I've been before), but I'm spending Nov27-29 on a boys' fishing weekend during a visit home by an old schoolmate now living in New Hampshire! And Queenscliff is a lovely seaside town only 2 hours south-west of Melbourne, but I get home from the weekend too late to consider going. Pity!

It's interesting that Ron has one gig on Australia's west coast between dates in coastal locations in the south-eastern states of New South Wales and Victoria, but no performances in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania or the Australian Capital Territory (or the Northern Territory).

[charlene]

https://rhythms.com.au/news/ron-sexsmith-new-tour-new-video/

[charlene]

http://themusic.com.au/music/livereviews/2015/11/23/ron-sexsmith-mullum-civic-hall-steve-bell/

The thick spring heat lays down over Mullum Festival like a blanket — making things somehow even more laidback and lethargic than usual — but inside the gorgeous old Civic Hall, the gathering’s epicentre, it’s verging on oppressive. No one’s complaining, mind you; the rows of impromptu seats are all full and it’s standing-room-only at the back and on the sides, everyone eager to score a good vantage point from where to spy Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, by far the biggest name performing on this, the opening night.

Soon enough, Sexsmith ushers his five-piece band onto stage and after the applause dies away they open with Sun’s Coming Out, the song perfectly languid for the surrounds and betraying the group’s exquisite harmonies from the get-go. They move through All In Good Time before the affable Sexsmith offers, “This one was covered by Michael Buble as well of all people, but this is the right way to play it,” and moves through the gorgeous Whatever It Takes.

Every song is like a perfectly formed, self-contained narrative and the band is world-class, and they hark back to the singer’s early days with the gently blossoming There’s A Rhythm. There’s steam rising from the dapper musicians but they too look like they’re having a blast — no doubt enjoying the rural, old school environs and the love emanating from the enraptured crowd — and they run through Strawberry Blonde before tackling a couple of newer tracks, Saint Bernard and Before The Light Is Gone, from the most recent album Carousel One. He throws in Former Glory, all mellow and optimistic, then offers up the plainly beautiful Gold In Them Hills, his voice so familiar and comforting. Sexsmith then quips, “I’m going to play a song that was far too complex for the band to learn,” and tackles the simple and heartfelt Sneak Out The Back Door on his lonesome, and gets halfway through Believe It When I See It in the same manner before the band stride back onto the stage and the song blossoms into life.

Get In Line is subtly jaunty, before Sexsmith beams like a Cheshire Cat as he recounts, “This song was covered most recently by Emmylou Harris, which did wonders for my self-esteem… so we put it back in the set-list,” and they offer a gorgeous rendition of Hard Bargain. Every song is so strong and you know he’s got an endless string of them at his disposal — this must be what it’s like when a Canadian watches Paul Kelly (not sacrilegious) — and he keeps going with the cover anecdotes, this time offering, “A lot of people think that this is a Leslie Feist song because she did a lovely version, but I wrote it,” before delivering a stellar take on Secret Heart. There’s a couple more new tracks thrown into the mix to round out the proceedings in the form of the Beatles-y Getaway Car and the emotive Sure As The Sky and then it’s over, the clearly heat-sapped musicians and their leader leaving the fray to a heroes’ reception, the band no doubt turning their minds to the rest of the tour while the punters' attention focuses on the rest of the great festival that’s awaiting them (and probably a cool drink as well). An auspicious beginning.

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

Joveski, did you get to see Ron as he passed through Melbourne? (I enjoyed the boys' weekend on the Gippsland Lakes, including great end-of-spring weather, but between eight of us we only caught 4 legal-size bream!)

[joveski]

no, i totally forgot about it until this thread got bumped just now!

[Jim Nasium]

You may like to know that next Sunday morning [13th] at 3am GMT on BBC Radio 2 over here Bob Harris will have a section of the show featuring Ron Sexsmith. For those who can pick up BBC Radio 2 in the far flung outposts.

[charlene]

Ron Sexsmith live at the Newtown Social Club

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/liveset/let-18122015/7021340

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

That was an excellent recording. I think all the songs are Sexsmith originals. The Newtown Social Club is a well-known live music venue in Sydney's inner southern suburbs. Radio National is a non-commercial network run by the government broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and reaches nearly 100% of the nation's populated areas.

[Jim Nasium]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p039xnb3


If this link works there is 17+ mins of Ron on Bob Harris.

[Dave, Melbourne,Australia]

That link worked and the content was excellent. I'm surprised Ron didn't mention Gord when asked about the Toronto music scene and older musicians. (He mentioned that Leonard Cohen is still touring.)

[Jim Nasium]

I'm glad it worked, there is many a time I hit a link to be told not available in your country. Strange for the World Wide Web.