Reviewed by Meghan Player
Central Coast duo Winterbourne are tasked with opening tonight; with their charismatic folk-rock immediately grabbing and holding the crowds attention.
It’s refreshing to hear such a well-developed sound and style come through a young band – a testament to their hard work in the early days of the bands formation, busking in Sydney’s Pitt Street Mall.
The banter between songs keeps the audience engaged, and overall builds that connection between band and audience that can be sometimes difficult to negotiate.
I, for one, was impressed by the bands set – a warm and charming stage presence and sound that will be hard to forget. Certainly, this is a band I will be keeping an eye out for in future.
One of the biggest rules of anything creative-minded is to “know your audience”, and with tonight’s headlining act blasting “Back In Black” as they take to the stage, you know they’ve done their homework. Because if there’s one thing Australians will enjoy, it’s if you throw a bit of AC/DC on.
Most fans here tonight will have been made through Duchovny’s acting career (yes, hello; massive X-Files nerd here), but it’s weirdly refreshing to see his transformation into a musician (and to have done it well).
The swaggering mix of blues and country, with a dash of rock and roll makes for an eclectic and interesting set; showcasing the immense talent Duchovny’s band have in orchestrating the emotion of the lyrics in the song. The wall of sound is flawless, and is absolute bliss on the senses.
Certainly, tonight emphasises how playing music is sometimes a deeply personal experience; which means its important it comes from a place of honesty.
Duchovny achieves that. His music seems to come from a life of experience in love and loss, triumph and heartache, and it’s that uncensored insight that connects most with the audience tonight. There are no strings, no flashy gimics or theatrics, just the music and power it has over people, both in performing and hearing it.
Hopefully, this won’t be the last time we’ll get to experience this band on our shores.
Click here for photos of the show!
David Duchovny + Winterbourne
The Metro Theatre, Sydney
24th February, 2018
www.facebook.com/DavidDuchovnyOfficial
www.winterbournemusic.com