Reviewed on Friday January 16 (photo by Jamie Williams)
An air of mystery surrounds the subject of tonight’s proceedings, William Onyeabor. The Nigerian’s music didn’t infiltrate the Western mainstream at the time of its creation (the late ’70s and mid-’80s), but his albums became prized finds for record hunters in the decades following. Otherwise, he remained largely unknown until 2013’s David Byrne-endorsed Who Is William Onyeabor? compilation. Last year, awareness of Onyeabor’s genius spread further thanks to the Vice documentary, Fantastic Man,and the creation of the Atomic Bomb! live band.
No, Onyeabor wasn’t onstage tonight – he left music behind for the Christian ministry decades ago, or so the story goes. But this group of savvy musicians, spanning multiple generations (from bandleader Sinkane to Wally de Backer/Gotye, Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark and 74-year-old sax legend Pharoah Sanders), gave us a performance brimming with life.
Unlike the man, Onyeabor’s music doesn’t keep much a secret. The synth-heavy take on Afrobeat/funk is possessed of an exceedingly positive spirit. Onstage we had two men behind drum kits, as well as a hand-drum percussionist and the odd appearance of an African drum specialist. Safe to say, the rhythm was insistent. That said, the Sydney crowd took a little time to warm up, but when quasi-hit ‘Atomic Bomb’ came around, bodies needed no instruction to get moving.
Vocals were shared between Sinkane, De Backer and The Rapture’s Luke Jenner. All three singers mustered the necessary enthusiasm, and Jenner was the standout tonally and technically. But no matter who was holding the mic, the idea wasn’t to occupy the spotlight. In each of these songs – most of which ran for close to ten minutes – upright rhythms, willfully cheesy synth melodies and brass flourishes were just as central as the vocals.
If there was anyone stealing the spotlight, it was the three South African backing vocalists, The Mahotella Queens, who took an eccentric approach to their requisite synchronised dancing. Money Mark was a close second; though a veritable keyboard wizard, he couldn’t help from running wild onstage, at one point even attempting a hapless cartwheel.
The evening’s final number was Onyeabor’s first significant breakthrough, ‘When The Going Is Smooth & Good’. By now, the entire Enmore Theatre floor area had developed into a united community of moving limbs, and the song’s chorus of “Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher – higher!” was bellowed with ecstatic devotion.
