Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Monday April 4, 2016 :
Hardly a stranger to Aussie shores, Dallas Green is back in the country under his City and Colour moniker, promoting his latest record If I Should Go Before You as part of the Byron Bay Bluesfest line up.
The first of his two night stint at Newtown’s Enmore Theatre saw the Canadian lay bare his soul, skilfully running the emotional gamut from longing and belonging, to lust, love, loss and heartbreak.
After taking to the stage to unexpected fanfare (an a capella version of Soul II Soul’s ‘Back to Life’) proceedings commenced with the moody hum of ‘Woman’, the opening track of his latest record. With its zealot-like cries of resurrection and thick wall of guitars, this was one hell of an arrival statement and was quickly backed up, as it is on the album, by the equally as broody ‘Northern Blues’. From here, Green took us back to 2013 with ‘Two Coins’, during which Green’s keys-playing bandmate went to town on the organ and the man himself let fly, putting the spotlight on his own dulcet pipes, before launching into ‘If I Should Go Before You’ and ‘Killing Time’.
It’s worth noting here that these tracks, many of which are new and already regarded as some of the ex-Alexisonfire frontman’s heaviest tracks under his successful pseudonym, were even more edgy played live on the night than they’re heard recorded. This set was raw, and dripping with earthy, melancholic blues and Green looked well within his element. Even fan favourite ‘Hello, I’m in Delaware’ off his debut solo offering, 2005’s Sometimes, shook off its former “emo” tag with the addition of haunting peddle steel guitar and glorious country-inspired three-part harmonies, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be alone in thinking this was the highlight of the set.
The remainder of the set brought yet more heartbreaking new material – ‘Lover Come Back’ and ‘Wasted Love’ – as well as oldies like ‘Weightless’, ‘We Found Each Other in the Dark’, ‘Sleeping Sickness’, ‘Grand Optimist’ and ‘As Much As I Ever Could’. The night wrapped up with what was a really special encore performance. As the harmonica heralded ‘Body in a Box’, the punters joined in for a singsong. Green then performed beautiful renditions of ‘Northern Wind’ and ‘The Girl’ with just his guitar for company, before capping things off with the full band returning to the stage for ‘Hope for Now’.
If Monday night’s performance is anything to go off, Green’s metamorphosis, from Canadian post-hardcore mainstay to modern folk darling, is still be in motion, with his latest tracks revealing a darker, even more aggressive, side to the songwriter. Green says he thinks of Australia as a second home, and so long as he keeps on this trajectory, we’ll keep welcoming him back with open arms.
Reviewer: Amelia Parrott
Photographer : Alicia Stephenson
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