Alexi Murdoch Tickets

It was +30degrees outside, inside even hotter especially once everyone got inside. The warmup act Isla Craig was good, but while Isla and two co- vocalists were polished, it seems they had not rehearsed with the guitarist and seemed to be asking for backing accompaniment on the fly. I was right up in front of Alexi, he stood at the front of the stage with mics and guitars right in front of the crowd. He had two Gibson guitars, an old acoustic and hollow body electric, a stomp pedal for rhythm, a kalimba (African thumb piano), a violin which he played pizzicato (plucked), and a small bellowed instrument like a concertina. He played most of his hits and some people knew the words and sang along. His fingerstyle playing was wonderful to watch. He was always capoed on either the 2nd or 3rd fret and a lot of attention was on bass accompaniment on the 6th, 5th and 4th strings.

alexi has a beautiful voice...and a great musician.

Stripped down to minimalistic acoustic guitar and vocals, Alexi's sound is mesmerizing and haunting. He pours out his honest poetry with a beautiful voice and simple, repetitive backing from a variety of instruments including acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars, hurdy-gurdy, violin (played like a eukele) and a weird little plink-plonk box thingy. Aside from taking to the stage late at 10:45pm, his performance was flawless. But, sadly, the venue was disgraceful. On one of the hottests and most humid nights in the year, there was no air and all the windows were painted shut. During the quietest, most intimate moments of the show, the insensitive bar staff crushed ice and talked over the performer.. Even prompting Alexi to tell them to shssss. Disgraceful