Jeff Martin w/ Terapai Richmond

The love affair between Jeff Martin and The Basement has developed into almost a monogamous relationship over the past few years, with Jeff rarely straying outside this Circular Quay abode on his Sydney city visits. And, like a successful marriage, the bond has become stronger on every occasion I have been on hand to witness. Tonight was no exception.

Besides the venue being a perfect host to such an intimate show, tonight Jeff looked comfortable in his red curtained and woodened surroundings. He is frightfully aware of the venue’s acoustic ability and is always eager to please the crowd, aka his extended family. If only the bar staff would remember to provide him with his ‘whiskey on the rocks’, they would attempt to know him as much as he knows them. What’s a rock star without his good pal Jack Daniels? A little naked I say.

You would be forgiven for expecting a female solo act to open for the former Tea Party front man as the ballad-esque experience has become almost a ritual for a prologue. Tonight however, we saw a newfound partnership of the male variety with Sydney based artist Spookyland.

With almost an eerie presence, musician Marcus Gordon dons the guise of the Lone Ranger with his blackened eyes. Still folk in nature, his performance plays as an opulent blend of Bob Dylan, Donovan, and a tad bit of Lou Reed. Not at all subtle, his bellowing out of the thrashing limitations of an acoustic guitar attempts to feed the crowd with all the energy of a ‘hurdy gurdy man’. But why does it fall short?

When I glance across the sea of dinner and show package guests I realise that the colour grey dominates, the median age a far cry from the 19 year old on stage before them with two black eyes. Somehow I don’t see them attempting to replace their Dylan vinyl with Spookyland MP3s any time soon. And wait a second… where are all the 30 year old core fans of Jeff Martin? Ahh! They are all in the standing section up the back keeping the bar in business (where I am of course).

The one weapon that Jeff Martin has up sleeve tonight that differentiates from the past few tours is the omnipresent magical drum beat that is Terapai Richmond. The man on loan from The Whitlams certainly added an extra element of brilliance and mastery to tonight’s performance. His innovative style is unusual to say the least, as he skipped from using drumsticks, to his hands, and other percussion instruments to create unique drum sounds that complimented the already familiar songs.

Jeff too aimed to mix it up a little, entertaining the crowd with more of a medley event rather that a set list of individual songs. Be it his own handy work in the form of Sister Awake and Black Snake Blues, or borrowing from masters such as Bob Marley and The Doors, he provided the forum with a good ol’ sing-a-long that got even the greyest of grey clapping a beat (yeah, but how was the veal?)

The set list tonight was not as sharp and varied as previous performances (nor as long), but Jeff did interact with the crowd a little more than usual. The intimate performance resonated well with the fans as we listened to his array of stories and social comments. The only thing that we didn’t want to hear is that he plans on hanging up a lot of the ‘old faves’ for his next tour.

We wanted more, but sadly will have to wait (or take a road trip up the NSW coast and follow the man). For no doubt the next time Jeff Martin will play at The Basement, will be to promote the new album. Maybe I’ll have to reserve a dinner and show table in advance and attempt to mix up the generational balance of the room.

Either way, I’ll be sure to have an extra 'whisky on the rocks' on hand should it be required on stage. Don't worry Jeff, I've got you covered!

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