The stage was set with a blow up shark, outdoor coloured lights and a bubble machine spewing millions of bubbles into the small intimate crowd as Dan Kelly and his new group The Dream Band, comprising of members from Augie March and The Ground Components, came out to play. Looking like an Australian version of Chris Isaac and wearing a Mariah Carey tour T-shirt, you knew you were in for a fun show.
Dan Kelly’s song writing style is similar to that of his uncle, Paul Kelly. He is a story teller, a word smith and a crafty songwriter. Live, he is unassuming and honest, playing through his back catalogue with tracks like ‘Drunk On Election Night’ and new single ‘Bindi Irwin Apocalypse Jam’ and giving the crowd a taste of his new album Dan Kelly’s Dream with the track ‘The Decommissioner’.
The one aspect of Dan Kelly’s music that I never paid attention to before is his guitar playing. He can pull out a great rock solo and creates some fine riff work. His new band, accomplished musicians in their right, support the music that Dan creates. He can rock out with the best of them, croon with some of the greatest and write songs that could be as a popular as the tunes written by his influences. With the new album out soon, Dan Kelly will surely be back playing Sydney soon.
