Damien Rice’s music captivated me from the release of his debut album O. Yet strangely, even though he’s a regular visitor to our shores, I hadn’t managed to catch him live. Those shows always clashed with others or came at the wrong time. So I made things right last night when he visited the beautiful State Theatre.

I thought I was in for a special night, but it exceeded my expectations. All too often musicians tour a set show. The songs mostly stay the same, they tell the crowd the same stories, simply subbing out city names where appropriate. The performances are carefully crafted to appeal to the masses, and to some degree it works. But when artists have such a clear plan, I think it can also undermine creativity, spontaneity, some of the foundations of music. So it was refreshing to see an artist like Damien Rice who throws out the rule book and gets back to basics.

Damien doesn’t use a setlist. Instead he relies on instinct and lets the evening play out as it’s supposed to. Sometimes he played the music that felt right for the moment, in others he agreed to the requests of his passionate audience or asked his talented cellist and vocalist Francisca Barreto what she felt like playing. He also doesn’t go for the usual staging either. There are no big screens behind him and lighting is minimal. That might not be ideal for photos, but I loved the intimate atmosphere these choices created.

I had my first inkling that this wasn’t any ordinary show when he played his first number, an unreleased track, on his knees hunched over a harmonium, a small light barely illuminating his face. I was mesmerised. He moved on to more familiar territory with “Delicate,” the opening track from O, but even though we all knew it you could hear a pin drop. It was almost as if we collectively worried that adding our own voices to the mix might break the spell.

It took until the eighth song for someone to yell out a request. “I Remember,” an excellent choice Damien was all too happy to oblige. This opened the floodgates for others to suggest their favourites. He was generous, delivering many songs the audience held dear. I’ve got to commend those vocal fans for choosing so beautifully. But all too soon he told us that he’d need to start wrapping up as people had work in the morning. How I love a musician who’s so considerate on a weeknight! And so, he gifted us with his breakthrough hit “The Blower’s Daughter” mixed with a little of Radiohead’s “Creep.” It was glorious from the start, but turning down all the microphones, so he was simply singing to us, made it magical.

Honestly, I hadn’t expected an encore. That song was so powerful, I wasn’t sure where he might go from there. But sure enough, he came back with Francisca and delivered a beautiful version of “Cold Water” silhouetted against the stage’s backdrop. I didn’t need to see them because I could feel them. Damien ended the evening with another unreleased track, bringing the evening full circle. On any other night these might have seemed like strange choices but on a night like this, which was more about appreciating music than singing along to it, it made perfect sense.

As I left the theatre, and again now as I relive it in my mind, one word echoes in my brain: transcendent. It means “beyond or above the range of normal or physical human experience.” That’s what this concert was for me. I see a lot of concerts. I love many of those shows. But I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced a night quite like this. Thank you Damien Rice.

Damien Rice continues his Australian tour in Mulubinba/Newcastle. There are limited tickets for that show at the Civic Theatre tonight before he plays his final sold out show in Meeanjin/Brisbane on Thursday.

Photo credit: Stephen Katulka