When I saw Reece Mastin at Ettalong Diggers back in 2016, I swore that while it was my first time seeing him, it wouldn’t be my last. I didn’t imagine I’d be left waiting nearly 10 years for a return visit. But it was all worth it to see him perform another acoustic show at one of my favourite local venues.
Local country-pop darling Chelsea Berman warmed up the crowds with a mix of originals and covers. It’s a testament to her talent that I hadn’t heard songs like “Going There” for years, but I remembered them well enough to sing along. It’s also impressive that she could capture the attention of a crowd interested in another artist with just her voice, an acoustic guitar, and her charm. The hush over the audience as she chatted easily between songs proved just how captivating she is. She had us hanging on her every word.
While this was another acoustic show from Reece, it was a very different one from the gig at Ettalong all those years ago. A decade ago, Reece seemed keen to prove himself as a serious original artist. Coming off the back of his brilliant Change Colours album, originals took centre stage. He wanted us to know what he could do. These days though, Reece doesn’t have to convince us. He’s got more original material under his belt, yet the set was a much more even mix of originals and covers. The cover that made the set last time was a fairly obscure Yes track. Now though Reece seems happier to play crowdpleasers he knows his fans will love. While he celebrated his love of classic hits with a stunning cover of Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the Irish folk ballad “The Fields of Athenry,” he made sure to connect with his predominantly young audience through some more contemporary choices. They seemed to lap up “Oh Caroline” by the 1975 and “Breakeven” by The Script, which he originally covered on the X Factor Australia all those years ago.
It feels like Reece has made peace with his time on X Factor and his early music career. While just a couple of those early hits made the set last time, he breathed new life into “Stars” and delivered the fairly cheesy “Girls (All Around the World)” without a hint of cringe. Watching the way the faces of audience members in the front row lit up, why wouldn’t you?
I really enjoyed the artistry Reece displayed all those years ago, but I had more fun this time around. I think he’s got the balance right. He doesn’t have anything left to prove. He’s got some fantastic music under his belt, so he can just have a good time delivering it with his bandmates. The smiles on the stage said it all. They hadn’t prepared an encore, because what do you do after “Good Night”? You come back and improvise. A cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” capped off yet another fabulous show at Avoca Beach Theatre. Reece promises us he’ll be back in our neck of the woods before long, so hopefully I’m not kept waiting close to a decade for the next gig! If you get the opportunity, make sure you catch Reece Mastin at one of the following shows before the year ends:
7 November 2025 – The Beer Shed, Tharawal Country/Leumeah
8 November 2025 – The Great Big Beer Band @ The Beer Shed, Tharawal Country/Leumeah
21 November 2025 – The Deck, Ballaarat/Ballarat
4 December 2025 – The Landing, Kyleeup/Alkimos Beach
5 December 2025 – The Stirling Arms, Mandoon/Guildford
6 December 2025 – The Burlington Hotel, Goomburrup/Bunbury
7 December 2025 – The Carine, Whadjuk Noongar Country/Duncraig
Photo credit: Stephen Katulka
