Hoodoo Gurus

Hoodoo Gurus – Oxford Art Factory, 20 May, 2010

Sydney fans got the opportunity to witness the pure essence of the Hoodoo Gurus as the band bring their latest album to the Oxford Art Factory.

Seeing a band more accustomed to the open spaces of festivals, theatres and stadiums in a small enclosed space is thrilling. The Hoodoo Gurus are now into their twenty-fifth year together, and their seventh since reforming in 2003. The band appear to be positively charged and rejuvenated to be presenting their latest album Purity of Essence and waste no time delving into it with opener ‘What’s in it For Me?’. They too seem to be revelling in the small venue, with front man Dave Faulkner observing the Oxford Art Factory has “A bit of a Max’s Kansas City vibe” to which guitarist Bead Sheppard replies “more of the Trade Union Club”.

The band had stated their intent with their latest album was to create a set of singles as if it were a greatest hits collection. Tonight was proof that they went a fair way to achieving that with new album tracks ‘Ashamed of Me’, the stomping new single ‘I Hope You’re Happy’, and ‘The Stars Look Down’ standing up alongside Hoodoos classics ‘I Want You Back’ and ‘Waking Up Tired’. On stage the Hoodoo Gurus offer the contrasting counterpoints of the jovially effusive Dave Faulkner – clad in bright white and luminous purple – and the tight-black clad, scruffy, undiluted essence of rock god that is Bred Shepherd writhing and reeling off scorching riffs alongside; both stoically backed by the rock solid rhythm section of Kingsmill and Grossman. Faulkner has the gift of writing songs that are almost instantly timeless, turning the struggles of the every day and everyman into the epic chorus. A prime example coming in the form of a spontaneous solo performance of ‘My Girl’ that had friends and strangers alike arm-bound and singing along.

The romping new number ‘Crackin’ Up’ proves the band are still as un-ignorably potent as ever before we get a trio of treats from their persuasive past in ‘1000 Miles Away’, ‘The Right Time’ and ‘What’s My Scene’ before a brief but blustery encore. The Hoodoo Gurus recorded catalogue already stands up. In 2010, as a live force and contemporary music making entity, they are only adding to it. A unique chance to get close and compounded by one of Australia’s very important bands.