REVIEW: Whitley Secret Show @ Hibernian House, Sydney

Last Wednesday, Australian folk pop musician Lawrence Greenwood (AKA WHITLEY) performed a secret show to celebrate his upcoming album release at Sydney's Hibernian House.

For those of you who don't already know, this is an apartment block in Surry Hills, where a lot of artists tend to have underground recording studios. A fair while ago, a friend saw 90s folk-pop act LEONARDO'S BRIDE perform in the same building and described the evening as 'different and enjoyable'.

After WHITLEY announced on Facebook that he pulled a few strings so all of the competition winners were able to attend, it was a sign that the vibe would be strong at this gig. This was the perfect opportunity for WHITLEY to try out his new songs in a relaxed environment, before facing a national tour and Splendour In The Grass next month.

At the beginning of his set, the performer notified the audience that him and his band would be performing half of his yet to be released album 'Even The Stars Are A Mess', which is made up of tracks such as 'The Ballad Of Terrence McKenna', 'TV' and the new single 'My Hearts Not A Machine'. What made this set quite unique was the fact that everyone was seated on cushions and stools throughout the gig and it was the very first time the band had played their new material.

WHITLEY’s hilarious personality and the intimate space certainly made it feel as though we were watching our friend’s band play in someone’s lounge room. It’s also always great to see solo musicians who don’t try and make it all about themselves. This was evident on the night, as Lawrence Greenwood made the audience aware that every other member in the band fulfilled an important role in their live show. It was especially nice to hear a personal story involving his broken car and his quest to get it fixed by the CEO of his label because although he is an extremely talented musician, he showed he is a really down to earth person.

It’s not often people get to experience these sort of special gigs, I can definitely say I witnessed an entertaining show with plenty of laughs and excellent music involving beautiful song writing, crystal clear vocals and loads of passion.

WHITLEY – ‘EVEN THE STARS ARE A MESS TOUR’ 2013

Support: Esther Holt

Fri 12th July: Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane

Oztix: 1300 762 545, www.oztix.com.au

Sat 13th July: Jive Bar, Adelaide

Moshtix: 1300 GET TIX (438 849) www.moshtix.com.au

Thurs 18th July: Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Moshtix: 1300 GET TIX (438 849); www.moshtix.com.au

Fri 19th July: The Hi Fi, Melbourne

www.hifi.com.au / 1300 THE HIFI (1300 843 443) or Oztix: 1300 762 545

Words by: Tony Kingston

SEE ALSO:

OUR PARKLIFE 2013 RUMOUR MILL

INTERVIEW: DAN ZILBER, FBI RADIO

SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2013 LINE UP ANNOUNCED