Dan Lethbridge

Cold winter night. Exhausted reviewer. I had really just wanted to curl up on the couch at home. Instead I am here for Sneak Peek, a showcase type of situation where promoters are 'Helping artists who are seen to be helping themselves. An extra 'leg-up' to assist emerging talent.'

It's a fairly quiet night, where I assume that the majority of the crowd directly know a performer, so it's a beautifully warm and encouraging vibe. The exposed beams and brickwork in the bandroom support chandeliers and mirrorballs defiantly, like wood-choppers holding silver cocktails, and so the show begins. I get a beer and sink into a velour armchair with a side table. This is better than sitting in my lounge room watching telly I concede, wishing I could curl my feet up on the couch.

Red neon glows on Dan Lethbridge, a Neil Young-ish, honest story telling soul who appears to have been through a desert on a horse with no name. A beautifully clear, sometimes sublime vocal and gorgeous guitar work, accompanied by an ethereal keyboard. A looping crescendo for earnest lyrics. Lovely.

Dan makes apologies in advance for Jed's (the pianist) scheduled departure, 'He's got a gig in Williamstown in ten minutes,' for which Dan guesses Jed'll be 'fashionably late.' With Jed trading keys for a slide guitar, Dan leads into the country-twinged acoustic number Day Vs Night, going onto to dedicate a track to his bed-ridden partner who, 'plays on my mind like a xylophone.'

It occurs to me that I would love to see this guy score a film. The way he creates landscapes and soundscapes and stories and memories may not be designed to be melancholy but it makes me melt into my armchair and reflect on things. Dan takes up the harp for the last tune with Jed and designs intricate eastern harmonica and guitar loops, getting a lush layered atmosphere established before ending it. It's intriguing and even more interesting when Jed provides simple piano melodies for a nice blues harmonica from Dan. Unique and refreshing. Oddly, early Looney Tunes cartoons are being projected onto the wall at the same time; an annoying cross between endearing and inappropriate.

Jed jumps from stage, grabs his guitar case and jacket and walks straight out the door with a wave and a grin. Dan turns to ukulele and announces wryly that his last song will be For How Long, from his album which is 'currently rocketing up the charts'. Can he pull off anything exciting with a ukulele, since Jed is already fanging off to Williamstown? I've clearly forgotten about the loop pedal. It first collects a straight ukulele melody, then a bass drum incarnation, a drumming of finger tips on the little ukulele body, another guitar line, an eerie whistle, a deep breath into the shell, an ever-growing bunch of wildflowers that came together in beautiful arrangement. Fantastic. - Faster Louder