Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Thursday September 25, 2014 :
Well it’s hard to believe but it had been six years since the “outlaw” had visited Australian shores. Gary Allan is the working man’s cowboy, as stable to country as bourbon and cowboy boots. The man’s relationship with Australia began fourteen years ago and has continued ever since. Tonight the Enmore in Sydney got to house Allan and the outlaw came well-armed. Joining him on stage was Black Jack Billy and country superstars The Mavericks. Allan did not come alone, his eight piece band swayed between powerful lyrics and loud rock and roll. The set was intensive and full of hype with Allan not entering the stage until 9.45pm, you knew it was going to be a long night.
Dressed in boots, ripped jeans and a tee shirt, Allan delivered twenty one songs from his eleven album catalogue opening the evening with ‘Tough Goodbye’ from the 2013 album Set You Free. Allan quickly broke into ‘Feeling Like That’ from his 2007 Greatest Hits album. Halfway into the set Allen introduced ‘It Ain’t The Whiskey’ which is one of my personal favourites. The acoustic set produced the classic ‘Songs About Rain’, ‘Radio’ and ‘California’, highlighting Allen unique voice. Stripped back I could have listened to him all night. Alone, Allen is a talent, when he is playing with his eight piece band he is a music adventure.
During the encore, Allan hit on a personal favourite and obviously one very close to him, ‘Best I Ever Had’ from his 2005 personal album Tough All Over, the first album recorded after his wife’s suicide.
You left the Enmore feeling you knew a little more about Gary Allen. The sadness combined with life experience has made him a sound live performer. The fact he brought a few superstars along for the bill was all the more enjoyable. Gary Allen “the outlaw”, well worth catching live.
Enmore Set list
‘Tough Goodbye’, ‘Feeling Like That’, ‘Right Where I Need To Be’, ‘Man To Man’, ‘Pieces’, ‘It Ain’t The Whiskey’, ‘Bend’, ‘Smoke Rings’, ‘Sand In My Soul’, ‘Get Off On The Pain’
Acoustic
‘Songs About Rain’, ‘Radio’, ‘California’, ‘Every Storm’, ‘Bones’, ‘Man Of Me’, ‘Airplanes’, ‘Bullhorn’,
Encore
‘Runaway’, ‘Best I Ever Had’, ‘Dark Whiskey’
Reviewer and Photographer: David Jackson
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