 Photo: Justin Edwards Local pop mainstay Tylea reminds me of a pinwheel. Her music is a colourful, dynamic, simple delight, but often gets lost in the hubbub of the rest of the show. On this no-frills acoustic tour, accompanied by just one of The Imaginary Music Score, her tunes benefit greatly by the lack of distractions. A quiet evening on the verandah might be her ideal setting.
There are few artists more reliably erratic in their performances than ‘90s powerpop rep Evan Dando. The last time he was here, almost two years ago with another new Lemonheads line-up, his opening show in Byron was the most shambolic, paranoid, fucked up car crash I have ever seen, followed at The Zoo the next night by a jovial and polished performance. Therefore, two tickets are mandatory for this solo jaunt. The Zoo show starts low key but positively with a run of classic Lemonhead hits – Confetti, My Drug Buddy and one of the sprightliest songs about depression Down About It – but instead of turning this intimate setting into something special, Dando barely talks, running tunes one into the next, as quick as he can. Sure, the set list is comprised of fan faves, delivered by a Dando whose long-haired slacker and clear, warm vocals hark directly back to his mid-’90s peak, but his determination to play like it’s a contractual obligation makes the tour joyless and redundant. The main set is over after only 45 minutes (admittedly containing over 20 songs), and it’s disappointingly unmemorable.
Byron’s show demonstrates why it’s fascinating to gauge Dando over multiple shows. His set list diverges more from the standard hits (including a 16 year-old Ben Lee’s tribute to Dando, I Wish I Was Him), and he jokingly references his last disastrous visit to the venue. At least it seems like a joke. Not 15 minutes later, he’s genuinely offering to fight members of the small but respectful audience, and throws his dukes up like a 6 year-old when a dude does indeed jump on the stage. His encore consists of him strapping his guitar on, angrily throwing a bottle of water on the floor, and storming back off. Dando even at his dullest is still a baffling rock spectacle, but needs some new material to remind us he’s a warped genius, not just an unhealthy oddball.
SIMON TOPPER
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