As winter weather sets in, it gets to be a bit quiet on the gig front. What better way to ease myself back into the live music scene than a night out at Lizotte’s. I’ve made no secret of my love of this live music experience. Whether at the Central Coast or Newcastle venues, you can always count on delicious food, warm, friendly service, and of course, excellent music.

My Saturday kicked off with Matt Zarb, a singer-songwriter with magical guitar fingers. I had mixed feelings about his set though. While he was a wiz on the acoustic guitar and mandolin, his songwriting felt a little basic and his vocals couldn’t match his musical prowess. His music too was very derivative, with songs virtually imitating “Amazing Grace” and Mark Knopfler’s “Going Home.” There’s nothing wrong with being a cover artist, but if you are you should probably be honest about it rather than pretending to be delivering original material. He had such an infectious personality though; I sat captivated as he recounted stories of the romance between his grandparents and his time abroad. It’s also impossible not to be impressed by a man with a harmonica slung around his neck and a tambourine strapped to his foot.

But the main attraction was Rick Price, making his return to Lizotte’s after time spent in the US of A. It’s always a shame to lose local talent to the bright lights of the States, but it seems the time away has done Rick some good. He always sounds amazing, but there was a little something extra in his performance this time. He shared more of himself that he typically does; the stories I’ve heard accompanying particular tracks were expanded upon. He seemed genuinely thankful to be home, and to be in front of such an appreciative audience.

Rick was spruiking his new acoustic greatest hits album Revisited, but he still found time to treat us to a handful of new songs. These were well received, especially the sexy “It Started With a Kiss.” He might be a grandfather now, but that man still has the power to make the girls in the audience swoon!

Revisited is an album that’s been too long in the making. In the past few years I can’t recall ever seeing Rick without his acoustic guitar in hand. That gentle treatment breathes new energy into the songs that are more than a decade old, and makes us appreciate the raw emotion behind them.

When I fell for Rick as a 13-year-old I was wowed by his long flowing hair and sweet love songs. Years later he’s proved himself to be much more than a pretty boy; he’s grown into one of the greatest singer-songwriters in this country. If you’ve never seen him live, or you’re keen for another fix, you can catch him at the following shows.

Image source: Stephen Katulka