Tim Rogers and The Bamboo's
Felicity Groom, The Rosemount, Perth, Sat 04 July 2015
Opening act Felicity Groom and her band were an inspiring unit that laid down a progressive, challenging, at times dark and heavy and percussive sound scape that brought in light that shaped rainbows when the rain clouds passed.
A phenomenally gifted musician Felicity was supported by another three equally gifted musicians that swapped instruments and circulated positions through the forty five minute set.
The rolling soundscape was easily accessible and keep the mind busy focusing on the images the creative and active notes, that as is if my magic, were creating.
Defiantly a suggested try for the daring seeking something more exploratory and courageous.
The partnering of the debonair Tim Rogers, of You Am I fame, with The Bamboos was something special as the newly released “The Rules of Attraction” opus has demonstrated. Debuting at number 26 in the ARIA charts last month the promoting tour was ending at the Rosemount Hotel for the fortunate Perth gathering.
Tim was on livewire performance mode from the get go. Answering his own calling of “You Can’t Loose When Your with The Bamboo’s” the magnificently rugged and robust Mr Rogers delivered as swaggered, danced and aligned with the sultry powerfully soulful vocals of Bamboo’s lead lady Kylie Auldist.
Dispensing on the self-confessional challenge of “I may not the best looking but I can dance like a motherf@$ker” Tim moved, glided and gyrated for the whole set. The boy from Kalgoorlie delivered his falsetto vocals with a harshness that gravitated to his dashing and sophisticated dress.
Working up a sweat Tim and Kylie paired up on leading the vocal contingent of The Bamboo’s with soul and style.
The Bamboo’s driving force, Lance Ferguson, dished up the guitar groove cuts and solos with deadly precision. Aided and abetted by the big and beefy bass funk indentations by four string swinger Yuri Pavlinov and choppy but on the point drumming of Graeme Pogson. The swing and funk would could not be completed without the layered keyboards of Luke Saunders, swaying trumpet of Ross Irwin, all fuelled by the baritone and tenor sax of Phillip Noy and Anton Delecca.
I stand to be corrected but the entire song listing of “The Rules of Attraction” was run through. With the said recording containing so many strong compositions that all transcended into the live environment through the hard work of said performers, picking out top performers was a challenge indeed. The artists made it all seem like magic.
That being said the high octane of “Me and a Devil” blew the roof off as the gathered swarm danced their way into the night. The easy swing of “Did I Wake You” swept and soared like migrating swallow heading for home.
Returning to the stage for a much demanded encore the previous 2012 collaboration of “I Got Burned” certainly burned The Rosemount down in the metaphorical sense leaving all running on adrenaline long into the night.