Paolo Nutini feeling it at Sydney's Enmore Theatre 31/3/15 / Pic Maria Boyadgis

Paolo Nutini – Sydney, Enmore Theatre 31/03/15

April 1, 2015

Roguish good looks? Tick. Scottish accent? Tick. Arguably one of the best male soul voices in existence? Tick. Paolo Nutini ticks all the right boxes. Dressed in a plain white t-shirt and denim jeans he’s got a strong James Dean vibe going on, and it’s working very well for him.

Paolo gets straight down to business, opening with Scream (Funk My Life Up) and Let Me Down Easy off his latest offering Caustic Love. With a nine-piece band behind him, the big brassy sound and soulful beats have the dance floor started in no time.

The crowd are a particularly rowdy bunch. Though with his chiselled jaw, rasping vocals and low swinging hips, Paolo Nutini understandably inspires a few impure thoughts. Before things get too carried away, he slows the pace down with one of his older tunes Coming Up Easy. Judging by the response, it’s a full house of long-term fans, and they are more than happy to join in for the chorus.

You certainly can’t deny his passion. The man’s got a lot of feelings and he’s not afraid to pull some great faces to get his mouth around those heartfelt notes. Some people are just born performers and Paolo Nutini is clearly one of them.

Jenny Don’t Be Hasty bleeds into a mash up of New Shoes followed by Looking For Something, which he dedicates to his mother in the crowd. Smooth move Nutini, as if we could possibly love you any more.

Folky ballad Better Man shows a softer side of his voice, allowing that raw Scottish accent to shine through. Next up is The Streets, where you can only just hear Paolo over the audience’s own renditions. Bluesy anthems Diana, Cherry Blossom and Iron Sky get a run as well as Pencil Full Of Led, that even gets the upper level of The Enmore on its feet and dancing down the aisles.

He kicks off a very welcome encore with Tricks of the Trade and Someone Like You. The crowd goes wild for Candy, before some of the more suggestive remarks have him giggling through his final song for the evening, Last Request.

From the constant cries of “I want your babies” to the epic sing-alongs and rapturous applause, one thing is for sure; Sydney has a hell of a lot of love for Paolo Nutini. I’d like to think it’s reciprocal, as I’m sure would every single woman in the audience.

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Paolo Nutini plays another headline show in Melbourne tonight, and will appear at Bluesfest Byron Bay this weekend.