Magnets Have Souls / Datura4
Mojo's Bar, North Freo, Fri 31 July 2020
With the early show sold out to COVID-19 capacity restrictions it shows that WA artists and music aficionado’s are dipping their collective toes in the marshlands of this post-COVID19 era.
“Magnets Have Souls” got into it and a liken to a compass finding direction it took a few numbers before they found true north.
When the tale-telling splintering, angst filled jagged ridges hit a more rocked up rhythm it was like an infusion of Neodymium and they jetted off into the stratosphere.
A great warm up act and the Heat had started to rise.
The COVID19 capacity now at breaking point and the Mighty Mojo’s air hot with anticipation the revamped Datur4 took to the stage like skydivers gliding in for a landing.
Fearless, on point and doing what they Love it was a perfect entry point.
No explanation needed as Dom Mariani the Legend, the Leader, the Fretboard Genius, the Ring Master General is still at the helm. Solid and effervescent bubbling boogie bass player Stu, looking younger with every play, is the ever present left hand man. Hard hitting beat Master Wazza giving it yalda at the back completes the Datura4 old school roll call.
New(ish) maestro’s are Jo Gench (guitar/slide) and Bob Patient (keyboards) adding to the layers of the rockin root blues boogie psychedelic sixties Datura4 rock rhythms. A bearded harmonica player also joined them on stage for some numbers but apologies to this gentleman as I missed his name.
Drawing from a combination of stellar releases (Blessed Is The Boogie, Demon Blues, Hairy Mountain, , West Coast Highway) Datura4 translated the studio recordings into the live situation with the skill set of master musical auditors.
With the lastest, greatest and COVID19 disruptor album “West Coast Highway” on show it was no surprises that the majority of the first set was drawn from this opus(Wolfman Woogie, You Be The Fool, Give, Mother Medusa, Evil People, Get Out). The road trip rock transmuted into the live forum with ease.
The remaining performance pieces (Trolls, Confide In Me, Black Dog, Looper, Ohh Poo Pah Doo, Not For Me) being drawn from two of the reminding three releases. Noted that “Demon Blues” was held in reserve for the late set.
Only true professionals can be loose and tight at the same time. If you don’t know what I’m saying then you should have been paying at the door to get in and remiss your musical sin.
James the Fourth (Bothwick) lead the way with audience participation. Bare chested dance floor stomping and graceful dancing moves held the dancing Ladies at bay. With his energy exhausted he retired to the back and the Ladies streamed forward and filled up the dance floor void.
Datur4 put on a great show and their joy was transparent with smiles a plenty and Stu throwing more shapes that alphabet soup. Kudos to the masters of mischievous mayhem. Special mention must also be paid to those that supported Mojo’s during covid19 shutdown #1 and helped keep it open for nights like this.
Hey Hey, Rock n Roll is here to stay.
