12 March 2010 (gig)
10 March 2010
As I enter the BBC Club bar, it is lunch time, light outside and the venue seems an odd, overly rectangular place to see a band. However, minute by minute, more people enter and a strange day-time ambience builds up. The venue’s capacity was around 60, but whether the people were larger than life, or the musicians created a full-bodied vibe, the 60 bodies seemed to multiply.
As John Butler Trio start their set, with few introductions, they play their opening track 'Revolution’ with respect to all the women out there, while in stark contrast next song is about a journalist named 'Moron’, who printed something confided in him off the record, tainting all us other journo’s out there. Speaking to John Butler after the set however, I asked him if this fuelled a dislike for music journalists in general, and fortunately he seemed to respect those who bring alive music through words. Career stepping gossips however, he will no longer give the time of day.
Coming alone, I sat somewhat further back but even there I found myself tapping my foot to the bip-bopping funk rock. The songs had a great rhythm to boogie to, though always with an underlying emotional depth as he tells some unknown face 'you think I love you' which is followed by a hearty guitar solo. Butler's absorbing lead guitar gives his music complexity and power; and he sure knows how to drive his band to dramatic crescendos, reverberating through to the small lunch-break audience.
Although they only played a short mid-afternoon set, John Butler Trio gave us a glimpse of why they have become so popular in their home land of Australia. Their energetic vibe, shown even in front of so few people make us realise that to catch them at arms length is a rare experience. Heck we could even see his famous 'Claw’ and by that i mean a finger with nails longer, thicker and definitely dirtier than a high-street beauticians.
Years ago street walkers too would have seen John Butler at such a close distance, but back then he was busking on the street. It is clear that it is his love, passion and vigour for music that brought him this far and onto venues like London’s Hammersmith Apollo, where the band will play this April.
