04-09-2002 Redbackrock

After a bit of a chow down in Chinatown, we head down to The Quay and down those darkened stairs to what is still one of the coolest and most timeless venues in Sydney (and now smoke free, I believe? Well tonite anyway!), The Basement.

Angus James is in full swing as we perch ourselves side of stage. Sleek, smooth musical tales are his forte, tales that unravel with ease.

Rich, acoustic guitars, congas, beautiful big double bass. Old school simplicity that pilfers and warms, as James moves to piano, then back onto guitar.

That big old bass holds the bottom end, as twin acoustic 6 strings and harmonies give the whole thing a shanty, love-song kind of feel.

Very nice. Very smooth, and a very big change from the double quad boxes these ears are usually subjecting themselves to. Club Acoustica is all about doing it unplugged, and with tonight being their 25th event, they must be doing something right.

A Beach Somewhere is the CD doing the rounds, and apparently it hit number one on the mp3.com.au hit list this week. Its slick piano and easy throes find you whisked away with the winds blowing offshore, and the sand sticking twixt your toes. Very lazy indeed, and very easy to swallow (unlike the $15 price tag for two Heinekens).

A touch of el Spagnola sneaks in the tail end, as guitars dance and melodies trickles, a fine wine indeed!

A short break, a bit of a giveaway and its time for Canberra's bro and sis duo Next of Kin.

With a beautiful EP doing the rounds, its been an eager wait to catch them live. Tonight proved to be no disappointment.

Dave on guitar and vox, Sally on vocals.proof that it only takes two to pull it off. Perfect, perfect harmonies and an angelic sound that stills that big dark room in an instant (even the drunken boilers beside us).

Switching the vocal duties, with those awesome, haunting harmonies always in the equation, it all just spills into the void so effortlessly. Dave takes the stool as For Ever More just drips all over that well-trodden floor.

Sally takes over with It's For You, an ode to her two kids. Distinctly beautiful. Sparse. Special. Chilling, lush melodies that flow like warm treacle.

All smiles, they swap brother/sister banter. Sally reckons Dave writes the fantasy love songs and she writes the real love songs, cos she's been there. Ouch, but some how, you know it's all in good fun.

But its beautiful music that NOK are all about, and whether it be slow, succinct, sweeping, or soaring and piercing (particularly in the vox department), its always on the money. Hypnotic. Mesmeric. Magical.

Sally's vocals oozing gorgeous wads of passion. Dave's simple guitar behind it all, with those perfect absorbing harmonies only possible from the same gene pool. Perfect!

Hold Me the perfect example. Soft, seductive, sublime. Cleo. the perfect sad, frolicking pisstake. Falling.totally amazing. Sally sounding Jewel-esque. Warm guitar. Beautiful hues of emotion that swim right into the heart strings.kinda like your fave hand-knitted jumper and a freshly corked bottle of 95 black shiraz.

A magical encounter!