Bertie Blackman

Every now and then, you discover great albums that have, to a degree, almost slipped under the radar. Whilst that sucks for the band, whose members have put their collective heart and soul into creating a masterpiece, it is awesome for the punter lucky enough to discover their art. Earlier this year I stumbled upon 'Black', the new album by Bertie Blackman. Straight up, it's one of the most underrated Aussie albums of 2006, filled to the brim with layered, dark and moody rock and roll. So I headed along to the East Brunswick Club on the 22nd of November
looking forward to a rocking live show and that's exactly what I got.

Bertie and band opened the set with the Triple J darling 'Favourite Jeans' from a few years back. Instantly the packed house, which was filled with silly haircuts and jeans so tight men were walking like the Tinman, was wrapped up in the show. Bertie, all 5 feet of her, rocked out leading straight into crowd favourite, 'Television'. Guitarist Cameron Deyell caressed his axe, pulling beautiful sounds from his Boogie amp. And the crowd responded, with bursts of cheers finishing each song like a pre-arranged agreement.

'You Kill Me' and 'Gore' showcased the finesse of Bertie's tight rhythm section. Drummer Evan Mannell and bassist Neal Sutherland couldn't contain their excitement, drilling home cleverly arranged furious fills with stupid grins slapped across their faces. It was infectious, and the crowd were soon smiling with them, as it dawned on everyone that we were witnessing something pretty special.

And then came 'One Day'. When I first heard it I could appreciate the complexity of the song. It is a moody and progressive building tune, with a bittersweet sentiment driving it along. But live, it is so much more. Bertie and gang delivered a grounding performance, with harrowing vocals and straight-forward honesty. And as the band took it up a level, so did the crowd. Even the 'hip crowd', usually more focussed on looking cool and detached, let themselves go with cheers of 'jolly good show' and 'play that rock and roll you good thing'!

Bertie finished the set with 'Hold Me Close', complete with watertight progressive tempo changes in an improvised bridge, and the calls for more drowned out the last notes. Not one to disappoint, Bertie reappeared on her own to finish the gig with the melancholy and aptly-titled 'Last Song'. Delivered like a sullen lullaby, it was a fitting end for most of us, who would soon be tucked up in bed getting enough hours for work tomorrow.

And so I leave another gig, with new found faith in music. Bertie Blackman makes music sound the way it should... end of story.

Tom Whitty

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