Reviewed at various venues in Cronulla on Thursday November 3
It’s the first of four nights at the second year of Australian Music Week, and the infamous southern Sydney beach spot of Cronulla is playing host to another round of panels and music.
The 8pm slot at the Brass Monkey is filled by Katoomba blues rocker Claude Hay and band. Later in his 30-minute set, Hay jokes, “I’ve been solo forever, now I’ve been let out to talk to other people!” but you wouldn’t have picked it. Hay, with bassist Ryan Van Gennip and drummer Marcus Missio-Spiteri, riles up the slowly filling room with an abundance of guitar whirls, fearless and funky basslines and some stellar, powerful vocals. His cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ classic ‘I Put A Spell On You’ in particular has all in the room enraptured by his presence and falsetto.
The AMW program allows punters and delegates to float around Cronulla, and we stop in at different venues to see what each has to offer. First up it’s El Sol, where the folk-tinged rock-pop stylings of Sydney’s Allan Smithy begin to ring out over loud conversations across the room. This show precedes the release of his debut EP I See A Palm Tree the next day, and we’re treated to renditions of newbies ‘The Streets’ and the acoustic-led ‘Air’, to much appreciation.
After revelling in a little bit of Diesel at the outdoor stage at Space 44, and stopping by St. Andrew’s Church to catch the last of Hollow Coves’ set, we trek it back to Cronulla RSL to catch the lairy (and slightly hairy) rock’n’roll vibes of Sydney quintet Lepers And Crooks, their lead singer Sam Baker keeping the energies high as he sways and throws himself around to the music.
The night is almost over as Fijian musician Knox warms the Brass Monkey with the upbeat ‘Moonshine’ and ‘Summertime’. But the evening ends in those mellow surrounds of St. Andrew’s with the bluesy folk magic of Claire Anne Taylor. A self-professed “bastard from the bush in Tasmania”, she holds a completely individual tone with her signature husky vocals, emotive delivery and riveting lyricism. She eventually unplugs her acoustic guitar, descends to the floor, and plays a completely off-the-cuff rendition of ‘Our Mother The Mountain’. It’s a powerful and visceral moment, and a gorgeous way to cap off the first night of AMW music in Cronulla.
