NEWS
EVENTS
Xavier Rudd Concert
Indie | Tuesday 25th June 2013 | Abby
Last night could not have gone any better, with an artist who can reach into the hearts and souls of his audience and move their spirits with the sound of his voice and movement of his hands and feet when he plays all kinds of instruments. A phenomenal performance and a musical masterpiece.
KOKO in Camden hosted the performance of the one and only Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Xavier Rudd. This one man band and music sensation has once again formally captivated London with a performance which reached extraordinary heights. After touring throughout South Africa and Europe, he is yet to perform in the Americas, and once again he will undoubtedly give the world another sensational world tour. We met up with Xavier for an interview in the afternoon, however, we were delayed due to the fact that Xavier had received an infection in his finger in South Africa while he enjoyed soaking up the culture and engaging with the people. Apologetically Xavier entered, and diving into the interview, he revealed the wonderful history of his ancestors, stories which involve a deep and meaningful influence on his music, and much was divulged about his personal beliefs, enjoyments, and talents. This extremely talented musical artist exposed his genuineness as he thought deeply about each and every answer. Not only did Xavier excite us about the concert that was to come later that day, but he also earned our further respect and support. However, the entire filmed interview will be online at Guestlist soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
Byron Bay’s German-born Yeshe stood in as the alluring supporting act for the evening, and he brought to the audience nothing but a beautiful ethereal sound and offered the audience this gorgeous music through his talent as a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and multi-linguist – two tracks were in Spanish and French. The presentation was simple; all attention was focused toward Yeshe.
Then the diverse and colourful audience awaited the appearance of Xavier. Finally the sheet which covered the obscure shape which stood upon the large podium that sat in the centre of the stage was drawn and revealed was the multiple instruments that Xavier was to play throughout the show. Being able to play 19 instruments (all of which were self-taught) along with presenting such enchanting vocals, many of these instruments were set up ready for Xavier, including three intricately decorated didgeridoos and a set of drums sparkling under the coloured stage lights. As his silhouette emerged from the smoke machines, the crowd bellowed a wild roar of excitement. Xavier’s form became clear and he stepped up onto the podium and there planted upon his warming face was an authentic smile. Casually addressing his instruments he gives a bow of respect to the audience and sits with his musical companions. All of a sudden the crowd fell silent until the crash and tempo of the drums came with a full force and the didgeridoo hummed to London, the crowd then broke into a wild frenzy! People from all walks of the world joined to watch this performance, including three delightfully eager Polish middle-aged women, a cute young hippie couple, and the ‘hipster kid’ from down the block.
Each and every song grew intensely emotional for all, and people either jumped and swung their hair around, or closed their eyes and swayed to beauty that they were connecting to. The crowd spasmodically chanted along with Xavier, each seemed like they were attempting to get his attention and impress him with all their efforts.
Xavier gave the crowd a vast number of tracks that were from many of his different albums, and throughout the entire performance he smiled. When the promise of a last song came, the crowd sang along even louder and continued to chant and clap when he left the stage, and after a few minutes he returned to play an extra two of his songs once again presenting his strong and raw, yet refined, vocals. Then to end, Xavier left his instruments behind and stood at the edge of the stage to perform a song to thank the audience and show his gratefulness. A wonderful send-off!
Keep an eye on Guestlist for the exclusive interview we got with Xavier Rudd! You will learn so much, whether you are already an enlightened fan or just being introduced to him!
Written By Abby D @AbbyDonkin
