Under The Town

The great thing about the Northcote Social Club is that it’s a pretty intimate venue, and very laidback. Hence, it’s the perfect place to see the likes of Dan Kelly and Holly Throsby, who via their music, each manage to make wry observations about people and the things they do, injected with their own respective brand of humour and sensitivity. I’m much more familiar with Dan’s stuff, and he’s a joy to watch. Humble but wickedly funny, if you ever find yourself at one of his shows, just cast an eye over the crowd and see how many people around you are chuckling at almost every line – people last night sure were.

In the absence of his trusty Alpha Males, the focus was entirely on Dan – something I don’t think he’s quite used to yet, but with guitar in hand, he effortlessly engaged the crowd and even briefly explained the origins of some of his tunes. With his self-effacing manner, natural charm and skill at telling tales, it’s hard to resist making very obvious comparisons between Dan and his uncle, Paul. From the wry “Pregnant Conversation” (which Dan claims is partly ripped off his uncle), to the beautiful “I Will Release Myself Unto You” (I think any girl would love to have this sung to her by her man, even if she’s not a brainy merchant banker), to “Vice City Rolling” (you’d never guess it was the first time Dan was attempting this live), it’s hard to pick high points from last night’s show.

“Drunk On Election Night” had the crowd singing along when it came time for the expletives – and I still don’t know how Dan manages to get away with them and still sound as pure as a choirboy. Other chuckle-inducers included “Bunk Lovin’ Man” which as Dan explained, was inspired by Khe Sanh and his wondering how time gets spent while out working on an oil rig; and “Summer Wino”, which although it sounded a little bare without the other members of the band, was still a crack-up.

Unlike Dan, I’m a newcomer to Holly Throsby, and I have to say that if I heard her on the radio without really listening closely, I’d probably think she was OK, but wouldn’t necessarily go out and buy her records. Fortunately though (thanks Bek!), during the last week, I’ve acquired her two albums and exactly as it had been related to me, the more I listen to her, the more there is that jumps out at me. Although the arrangements are deceptively simple, Holly’s lyrics are clever and for want of a better word, insightful. She’s got a knack for observing human nature really well and is lucky enough to be able to express it in song.

Live, she’s endearingly awkward and still doesn’t seem to know what to make of being in the spotlight – highlighted when she didn’t quite know how to fob off a particularly raucous punter in the crowd, and later on, her gentle attempt at promoting merchandise – although she clearly loves what she does. Accompanied at various times by cello, bass, drums or piano accordion, with her style of guitar-playing, there were fleeting moments when I was reminded of one Augie March. But instead of their often ethereal, poetic lyrics, Holly’s plaintive and succinct style can easily reel in the listener.

My favourite last night was her rendition of “We’re Good People But Why Don’t We Show It?”, with her fragile voice matching this number perfectly. “Things Between People”, while pretty on the surface, is a song that many people can probably relate to, or have known the sort of person that Holly is talking about. Newer songs such as “Under The Town” and “I Worry Very Well”, also highlighted how the arrangements have become a little more complex, and less sparse than on her first record. The more upbeat “Up With The Birds” and “Making A Fire” finished off the show on a buoyant note.