Andy Clockwise

In the tiny, indie venue Spectrum on a Saturday night first up was the four-piece The Waysiders. A hybrid maybe, between The Vines and Franz Ferdinand.
I know, comparisons are futile – but you can’t help but wonder who a band reminds you of! The frontman had a Craig Nicholls-esque delivery – a certain disdain for the microphone. Their sound is laid-back, guitar-driven indie rock, with melodic bass lines and cymbal heavy drumming. Upbeat with a hint of melancholy in the lyrics. Very easy on the ears!

Next up was the Sydney three-piece The Shake Up, with their high-energy rock/pop.
Drunken races patrons danced away in their suits and heels in front of the stage. And the toe-tapping continued. Tones reminiscent of The Clash and You am I, pulsing through the heart of the tiny venue. Frontman Miles Selwyn is the image of Jet’s Nic Cester, and shares his strong stage presence.
The band are indeed a tight unit, fresh drumming, and it’s refreshing to see the dynamic and interaction between the guitarist and bassist, instead of everyone sticking to their side of the stage. Apparently they’re heading into the studio next month, with producer Wayne Connolly (The Vines, Youthgroup) to put down a few tracks. Stay tuned!

Headliner Andy Clockwise assumed the stage with little fanfare. Slowly but surely, he acoustically coaxed the crowd’s attention from chatting and backs turned, with an epic ballad – complete with Beatle-esque wails. Wow. His band sidled on the stage - all competent musicians in their own right. They are his stage band – a four piece, of keyboards, drums, bass & back-up vocals.
In the studio, he is a one-man band. He forays into the piano, drums, bass, guitars and violin. Tonight, he is frontman and conductor. A subtle nod to the bass player, says ‘You’re up’. A palm face down to the drummer says, ‘Quieter’.

They were playing material from Andy’s 2005 LP release, Classic FM – an ambitious double album of 30 tracks. A crowd favourite was the anthemic ‘Alice May’, which had the hen’s night up the front swaying to the giddy admission in the refrain -
/And I heard you got lucky when I flew away/I want you to know I still love you Alice May/.

The sheer variety of his material suggests he’s not afraid to push boundaries and explore different sounds; whether 80s synth, hard rock or piano- driven pop.
In that way, he reminds me of Ryan Adams – who genre-hops with ease, and whose melodies are always so distinct from each other, and cleverly crafted.
I don’t know what Andy’s signature sound would be – it would be hard to pigeon hole him!

Maybe you can gleam something about the artist from the covers they perform. In Andy’s case – random, but brilliant. He gave us a delicate version of Bjork’s ‘Hyperballad’ and a husky ‘I’m On Fire’ courtesy of The Boss. He proves himself to be a tremendously pliable vocalist.
This was Andy’s last gig in Australia for the time being, as he tests his fortunes in London town.

Share this review on Facebook