John Butler Trio

The first thing I should say about John Butler Trio is that they are a band who I have always liked but never loved, having had their latest studio release, "Sunrise Over Sea" for almost a year now. I did, however, become very excited about the prospect of seeing them live, believing that they would be a band that would be much better seen live. I am very happy to say that I was right. They performed at Brisbane City Botanical Gardens’ Riverstage, a great little open air venue, and the air was electric.
Two things struck me about JBT, the first being the level of talent. The group consists of lead singer John Butler who, seated all the while, gives finger blistering performance on lapsteel, eleven string acoustic guitar and banjo. The band has changed in recent years, although I will have to get back to you with more precise information as the JBT website’s biography link is not working, quite possibly because it has to be updated. Michael Barker, on drums, is also an incredibly talented musician, playing not only with astounding rhythmical precision and sensitivity, but also, when called for, phenomenal power. Shannon Birchall on bass, at times traditional double bass and at others on electric bass guitar, is no exception to the rule. The band’s many talents are showcased perfectly, not only by the songs themselves but also by lengthy solos taken by all at various stages throughout the show. I was also thoroughly impressed by the way the group harmonises, especially on later comparison with JBT’s 2000/2001 live release, “Living”.
The second thing that struck me was the incredible humility of all three artists. John Butler himself is a powerful presence and the music often political, at times bordering on aggressive. He seems, however, to have this very much chanelled in the right direction as on stage he is a gentle soul, radiating peace and love. He is also incredibly grateful, often taking time to thank the audience for coming, as well as for buying the records, thank the people that helped the band get to where they are now, thank his wife and child for the beauty they bring to his life. The concert really felt like a gathering of friends, with so very much being shared. After playing a lengthy instrumental solo on his eleven string, something that Butler wrote, as he told us, nine years ago busking in Fremantle markets in Western Australia, he went on to say how he plays the solo at every live concert they perform in order to remember where he came from. The solo itself was incredible, at times wild and passionate, with Butler pounding out the beat on the stomp box, at times delicate and deeply touching. After this, he stood and came to the microphone at the front of the stage with his acoustic guitar to sing Peaches and Cream, a song written for and about his Wife and Daughter. It was testament to the audience’s respect for the artist that when he asked for hush, all of the many hundreds of people in attendance actually did shut up and listen. As he said, “I need you all to get real quiet as I’m not plugged in, all I have is this little mikey right here”. The song was incredibly touching, and the audience coming out of their silent reverie to sing along possibly even more so. I have never seen an audience sing along so gently in such unity, with all the right words, and sound incredibly harmonious.
So to sum up, it was shit hot. For a band that one would think of as folky/rootsy (they do defy definition somewhat) , they rocked, HARD! It was also an amazing experience. Some concerts just rock hard, some you’re blown away by the musical virtuosity, some you jump around for two hours solid (Less Than Jake write up coming soon!) , and this not only had many of those elements, but was really quite a spiritual experience as well. Not unlike Jack Johnson, who we also saw at Riverstage, some six months earlier, there was so much love there that night. An audience full of love and respect for the people they were seeing and a band full of love and gratitude for what they were doing and where they found themselves in life. As I said, however many hundred people it was all singing,
“There you are.
Right in front of me,
A brand new day,
Sunrise Over Sea ,
No longer,
My cup half empty,
Cause there you are,
You and your mum in front of me.
Your Peaches & Cream to me.
You both are Peaches & Cream to me.

All I know is
All I know and
I love you...”
, very, very softly, was a deeply moving experience. Maybe it was just all the ganja smoke in the air! It felt like a safe haven from all the madness in the world, with the band setting the world to rights. They not only powered through well established classics like, “Company Sin”, “Treat Yo Mama”, “Oldman” and “Something’s Gotta Give”, but also played a new song. This song was written, JB told us, as his expression of the jumble of feelings inspired by the events of, and following 9/11. The chorus went,
“I don’t understand,
How one could kill a man,
In the name of peace,
It’s ridiculous,
But I understand,
That I will defend,
My family,
From both sides of misery.”

Bootiful!

N.B. Since starting to write this I had to go out and buy JBT’s new live release, “Live at St. Gallen”, and have had it on whilst finishing up. It is very true to the concert we saw, and a truly awesome CD. Go buy it. And if you see that JBT are playing in your town, even if you’ve never heard any of their stuff, go see them. You won’t regret it.