Ten years since the release of their self-titled debut album Thirsty Merc, the boys from Dubbo find themselves celebrating their anniversary with a new acoustic greatest hits album and supporting tour.
Dubbed AAA (Acoustic Anniversary Album), the album features all their best known tracks stripped bare and exposing the jazz influences shared by front man Rai Thistlethwayte and bearded bassist Phil Stack. Little wonder then, that the tour targets the smaller and more intimate venues to be found, including ‘dinner and show’ restaurants and even RSLs. And it is the former that saw me head out to Weller’s of Kangaroo Ground last night for a tasty bite, great views over the Yarra Valley, and quite possibly the most moving and sonically pure gig I’ve ever witnessed.
I don’t use those terms lightly. To walk into a restaurant smaller than most pubs and find a modest fire-side stage with equally modest sound system made me raise an eyebrow – concerned and intrigued in equal measures. This was, after all, their first show of the tour, and if I hadn’t almost run poor Rai down in the car park as I arrived I might have thought I’d mistaken the venue. It turns out I had mistaken the venue; I’d completely underestimated its ability to put on top class entertainment with acoustically stunning clarity.
This was Thirsty Merc at their absolute best. Just like the album itself, the band stripped back to a couple of guitars, bass, single drum and of course Rai’s keys. With only three guys on stage the band still neatly filled out the intimate space, cleverly shifting personnel between instruments as the audience unwound thanks to the band’s relaxed, almost ad-lib approach to the lounge jazz conversions from the album, enriched by crowd-sourced extras they have the talent to just throw together spontaneously. Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ went down particularly well.
But it was classic Thirsty Merc we’d all turned up to hear and they did not disappoint. After throwing in ‘The Hard Way’ fairly early on, they filled the set out with a moving, soft version of ‘My Completeness’ before the crowd demanded ‘Homesick’. Every note pitch perfect from the talented front man sometimes raising nothing more than a whisper, whilst Stack’s soft organic bass ebbed and flowed with Matt Smith’s sleepy blues guitar chops. Big hits ‘In The Summertime’ and ‘Twenty Good Reasons’ rounded off a spectacular and personally inspiring night before the band signed merchandise and signed off, after mingling with the crowd, visibly relaxed and humbled.
The clarity in the sound last night and the ease with which the band blended together was absolutely mesmerising, and if you think I may be overstating this point I highly recommend you go see for yourself. Thirsty Merc will be playing select venues throughout Australia during October and November. More details at http://www.thirstymerc.com/page/tour.
Thirsty Merc
Weller’s of Kangaroo Ground
8 October 2014
