Ned Collete w/ Wirewalker

By the time Ned Collette and Wirewalker took the stage on Friday night, the Northcote Social felt more like a hypnotic velvet cabin than the blessed sticky floored pubhole that it is. With the rain pouring outside the heat inside crept perilously close to the top of the thermometer. Teeth & Tongue raised the temperature with their set and by the time Ned rocked up, the languid, sweaty crowd looked as though they were holding each other up . And the band wasted no time adding to the atmosphere, opening with bass that shook the walls and Collette's voice filing the ears like syrup.

This year, Ned Collette finds himself surrounded by some talented support, old friends Joe Talia on percussion and Ben Bourke on bass comprise Wirewalker and as a three piece they nothing short of rocked. Ned is a stage presence to be reckoned with and commanded the packed crowd like an old pro. A highlight being joined on stage by the fantastic Jess Cornelius from support band Teeth & Tongue. The songs from new album Over the Stones, Under the Stars were delivered with Collettes particular brand of lyrical & guitar mastery, conveyed with the underlying air of cynicism that is one of his most endearing qualities.

The songs did share a similar tempo however and combined with the heat I found myself propped up on a wall for the tail end of the show. When the songs lifted however the place was buzzing, a successful performance that bodes well for the future of Ned Collette with band. As pertinent as ever, Melbourne will miss Collette when he takes off to Berlin next year but if Friday nights show is anything to go by you get the feeling that our neddy won't be under the stars for much longer, soon he'll very much be amongst them.

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