Review and photos by Peter Coates – www.facebook.com/InsideEdgePhotography

Jackson Dean / Tori Forsyth – FACTORY THEATRE Sydney – Oct 18th 2023

Jackson Dean is just 23 years old, hailing from Maryland in the US, and now based, like all the rest, in Nashville, having released his debut album, Greenbroke, in March 2022.  He has been brought over to Australia for the Groundwater Festival on the Gold Coast, and has managed to fit in a couple of side shows in Sydney, and next week in Melbourne (CORNER HOTEL, Oct 25th).

Opening act for both the sideshows is Tori Forsyth, a singer from country NSW who debuted in 2017with the evocative single New Wall and the acclaimed EP Black Bird.   Forsyth’s highly anticipated 2018 debut album Dawn of the Dark was hailed as one of the strongest country records of the year in Australia, its powerful song writing underpinning Tori’s gritty and expressive vocals.  It planted Tori at the forefront of country in Australia, earning three Golden Guitar nominations and landing Tori on stages across the country and beyond.   Not one to follow a predictable path, Tori’s second album Provlépseis (2021) was a stunning swerve away from traditional country – a bold and bruising rock record that pushed her out of her comfort zone and became a favourite with fans.

The set on Wednesday was a mix of both, some straight-up country, and some darker, heavier rock songs, delivered with intensity, backed by a really tight band.

We got some old and new songs, including the new single, Sometimes, and all in all were left with a sense that with the right support and exposure, Tori could really make a name for herself.

Jackson Dean will be on the bill at CMC Rocks 2024, and has been picking up exposure over in Australia in the past 12 months, so this was a must-see show, and Sydney turned out in force at the Factory Theatre to welcome him Down Under.  A generally more switched on crowd, without the usual cries for a Shoey, and highly receptive to the top quality songs and delivery from Jackson and the band.

Jackson plays and interesting pair of Takamine guitars with custom carved finishes which I’d love to get the story of, and has a superb, solid tight backing band who built up a real head of steam as the show developed.  It was all quite low key to start with, and little fuss about this being his first show in Australia, and he played a bunch of songs from Greenbroke, and treated the crowd to some really well chosen covers and a smattering of new songs from his upcoming follow-up album, due for release sometime in mid 2024, which were terrific.

Opening and closing the set with well-known songs Trailer Park and Red Light, Dean took charge of the stage with the power of his vocals.  In-between these two we got Big Blue Sky, Don’t Take Much and Keep the Wolves away (Uncle Lucius cover).  Then it was Train, and a couple of new songs in Heavens To Betsy, featuring the first of a handful of searing lead solos from guitarist Brandon Aksteter, and the hard-driving Blackout which was a real trip to the dark side…… a crunching riff in the chorus, with a stripped back verse.  Jackson’s voice has really warmed up as the set goes on, and he takes the time mid song to thank the crowd for turning up!   This has a bit of Gods Country about it with an awesome epic feel to it.  In between these new ones we got What’s Up?  From 4 Non-Blondes, with some crowd participation teed up at the start, and overall an interesting choice of cover song.  Jackson gives it a Chris Stapleton workout and lets the crowd take the chorus, which they do in style.

49 Tons. (Fred Eaglesmith cover) is driven along by the bassline and drums, topped off with a gritty and powerful vocal line and a ripper solo, from the guitar hero who delivers with a hint of fiddle, and some rumbling Toms giving us the sound of the locomotive on the tracks.    Fearless is up next, and  is yet another example of this rich vocal tone delivering a more powerful sound than on the recordings.  After the pulsating Blackout, Jackson did yet another cover, this time Ryan Bingham’s Hallelujah, which showcases more of this powerful voice accompanied by acoustic guitar in the verse, and then soaring over a heavy country rock beat for the chorus .  A nice breakdown section letting lead guitarist show off a little, which turns into a lot!

The last two songs of the main set were 1971, the first song the band ever wrote together, and is a rollicking track driven by drums and with more of the fiddle effect on the guitar, before the drum intro to Don’t Come Lookin’ and the guitars kicking in.  100 mobile phones in the air and a few hundred voices singing the chorus back to him to close the set.

An encore was inevitable, and before the rousing Red Light we got the epic ballad of Wings – which again just highlights this young man’s extraordinary voice.

This was a bit of a slow-burner of a set, but Jackson was able to demonstrate what a powerful vocalist he is, and a couple of the unreleased tracks from the next album bode well for the development of his songwriting, and the growing maturity of the performance – assuming his voice holds out!  This is a really appealing mix of quality country and southern rock that works so well when done well, and Jackson and the band really delivered on this.
This may end up being one of those shows that down the track many hundreds of people claim they were at, as his first show in Australia – those of us who were actually there know the truth!

Thanks to FRONTIER TOURING.

Tori Forsyth