How is it that when everything Americana (sweet lord I hate that word) is so goddamned trendy in Melbourne town, two bands of the calibre of The Davidson Brothers, and The Special Consensus can put on a night of bluegrass brilliance and the band room at the Northcote Social Club is only half full? Is it because it was a Monday night? Is it because they aren’t covered in tattoos, bolo ties and a wealth of facial hair? Whatever the reason, it’s bloody criminal is what it is.
The good news is that the punters who did venture out were rewarded with a traditional Bluegrass master class of the highest order.
Davidson Brothers kicked things off with a high amp set of songs mostly drawn from their album Wanderlust, which was released back in June. The boys entertained with their usual hilarious banter: “Didn’t they call you Donkey at school? Terrible to be called names at school,” and the set was great. But while the vocals were strong, for some reason the instrumentals (including Grass Hound and Transpacific) really stood out as particularly awesome.
Special Consensus began performing in the Midwest of the United States in the spring of 1975. The only remaining original member is Greg Cahill, a former chair and president of the International Bluegrass Music Association, on banjo. The other members are Dustin Benson from Alabama on guitar, Dan Eubanks from St. Louis on upright bass and Rick Faris from Kansas on mandolin.
All the band members contributed to vocals, though Eubanks and Faris took most of the lead slots, despite both suffering from nasty colds. If they hadn’t have told us, we’d never have known. The set was terrifically varied, with everything from a bluegrass version of country tune Montana (the band recorded an album of John Denver songs), a beautiful ode to the godfather of bluegrass Bill Monroe, a bluegrass version of an Irish jig and an a cappella gospel tune called Land Up In The Air, written by Faris’ brother Eddie.
But the absolute highlight of the night was watching all four members of the Davidson Brothers getting up on stage with a group of musicians the local boys clearly consider mentors and watching them all jam together on Sitting On Top Of The World, with Lachie on mandolin, Hamish on fiddle and banjo, Jacob McGuffie on guitar and Louis Gill on upright bass.
Members of both bands had joy spread across their faces and the crowd couldn’t help but slap their thighs and clap along.
BY ISABELLE ODERBERG
Loved: No posing no bullshit.
Hated: That more people didn’t see it.
Drank: Pint of half orange juice, half lemonade (I was driving).
