Fasten your seatbelts, this plane is taking off.
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Within 15 minutes of the first strum of his guitar, Xavier Rudd had the crowd on their feet, clapping, fully engaged in his energetic harmonies.
For a Sunday night, this crowd was boisterous from the beginning. Rudd, smiling as ever, acknowledged how they like to get “rowdy” in Newcastle.
“Newcastle reminds me of the house I grew up in,” he tells the crowd (he had six siblings).
While the first song of the night, Honeymoon Bay, was off Rudd’s latest album, Storm Boy, released in May, the night was more of a celebration of his catalogue of work than an introduction to new songs. Honeymoon Bay certainly had the essential ingredients in Rudd’s formula: a breezy hook (We are young, we can fly, we are free) and an addictive musical asset, winding up with a didge solo that went far beyond what is contained on the album.
In all, Rudd blended in about half a dozen songs off Storm Boy, including the tantalising title song, Feet on the Ground, Gather the Hands, Fly Me High and Walk Away.
Rudd gave plenty of himself, on lap steel, didge, harmonica, percussion and acoustic guitar. But, as always, his supporting musicians were more than competent tradesman. Ian Peres, well known from his Wolfmother days, starred on organ all night long. Drummer Lisa Purmodh, from the Central Coast, was a great inclusion. And bass player Yosa Haile was a perfect foil at times.
It’s easy to presume the fans came to hear the hits, and they were not disappointed. The set list included Rusty Hammer, Come Let Go, The Mother, Come People, Flag, and Follow the Sun.
The encore included a ferocious rendition of Lioness Eyes, a torrid drum and didge solo piece by Rudd; the trademark Let Me Be Now with the whole band (and crowd); and finally, a solo version of Spirit Bird by Rudd.