On Saturday night Wes Carr and Ian Moss wound up their touring partnership with a show at Davistown RSL. This Central Coast club seemed an unlikely choice for such a significant gig. The buzzing acoustics, the likes of which you’d never hear in a more upmarket venue, filled me with early trepidation. But as the night wore on it I forgot about the imperfections and had a fantastic time.
Wes Carr kicked off the night with a passionate acoustic set. Considering his set drew not from his Australian Idols covers repertoire but from his debut album The Way The World Looks, Wes won over the audience remarkably quickly. It didn’t take long for him to pack the dance floor with folks who may not have known the music, but appreciated the tunes all the same. His bluesy take on “Jumping Jack Flash” was a highlight for the predominantly older crowd, but for me personal favorite “Hurricanes” and the energetic “Feels Like Woah” were something special. I also loved a new song he wrote with Josh Pyke; I can’t wait to see what else came out of that writing session.
It was clear that this was an audience that wanted to party, and Mossy picked up on that. I’ve seen him in acoustic mode for the last few tours, so hearing him electric again was almost a shock. But boy that man can rock. He performed some of the most upbeat tracks from his latest covers album Soul on West 53rd, along with some of his best loved solo and Cold Chisel classics.
The acoustic guitar came out every now and again, but for the most part the evening was about rocking out. Personally I wish he’d played some of the slower cuts; his covers of “Let’s Stay Together” and “What Becomes of the Broken Hearted” are incredible. But I can’t fault Mossy for giving the people what they wanted!
A spontaneous “guys against girls” singing contest during “Saturday Night” was lots of fun. While no winner was officially declared, I’m pretty sure we edged out the blokes.
Mossy brought back Wes Carr for the first encore. Witnessing them singing “Flame Trees” together was one of those very special musical moments, the ones were you are so conscious of experiencing something amazing. Wes stuck around for Otis Redding’s “Shake,” another classic cut given new life by these talented performers.
It may not have been technically perfect, but Saturday Ian Moss Wes Carr show was so much fun that it’s easy to forgive the flaws.
Image source: Lauren Katulka
