REVIEW: GEORGE EZRA - The Forum, Melbourne.

THE BAR IS SERVING UP “BUDAPEST” INSPIRED COCKTAILS TONIGHT, SO OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO TRY ONE. AS WE SIP THE ELDERFLOWER INFUSED GIN AND HEAD INTO THE CROWD, AINSLIE WILLS DRAWS US CLOSER WITH HER ENCHANTING VOCALS. HER SOOTHING MELODIES AND RELATABLE LYRICS ENCOURAGE US TO LET GO AND MOVE ALONG WITH A SLOW SWAY. WILLS BOOSTS US UP WITH A SONG THAT GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FELT LIKE THEY’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS SHE SINGS, “BLAME IT ON SOCIETY TRYING TELL ME HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE.”

THE FACT THAT GEORGE EZRA POSTPONED THIS TOUR AND STILL SELLS OUT TONIGHT’S SHOW EIGHT MONTHS LATER IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS LOYAL FAN BASE. FOLLOWING AN INTRO OF AN AUSTIN POWER’S THEME SONG, THE MAN ARRIVES ON STAGE. “MY NAME IS GEORGE EZRA AND THIS IS MY LOVELY BAND, WE’RE GOING TO PLAY SOME SONGS FOR YOU. SOME ARE OLD AND SOME ARE NEW...BRAND NEW,” HE TELLS US BEFORE KICKING OFF WITH “CASSY O” FEATURING THE FITTING LYRICS, “WELL, I TRAVELLED TO AUSTRALIA AND I TRAVELLED THERE BY TRAIN. THIS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT SOUND STRANGE TO YOU BUT ON THE WAY I GAINED A DAY.” EZRA’S SONGS ARE ALL ABOUT ESCAPING AND DREAMING TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, THAT’S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL DO WITH SOMETIMES.

THE NEW MUSIC THAT EZRA SHARES WITH US IS INCLUDED ON HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SOPHOMORE ALBUM DUE OUT LATER THIS MONTH. “TO WRITE THIS RECORD I REALISED I’M NOT GOOD AT BEING CREATIVE WHEN I’M TOO COMFORTABLE, SO I WENT AWAY FOR A MONTH TO A TOWN IN EUROPE (BARCELONA) WHERE I STAYED WITH A STRANGER WHO I MET ON THE INTERNET,” HE REVEALS. THIS EXPERIENCE STAYING WITH HIS HOST INSPIRED THE ALBUM AND IT’S TITLE ‘STAYING AT TAMARA’S.’ “I TOOK A NOTEBOOK AND WROTE ABOUT THE THINGS I DID. “I SPENT TIME IN A GARDEN AND JUST WATCHED THE DAYS GO BY.” THIS INSPIRED HIS LATEST SONG “PRETTY SHINING PEOPLE” WHICH HE EXPLAINS IS ABOUT PEOPLE NOT HAVING A CLUE ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE DOING AND JUST GETTING BY IN LIFE. THE POSITIVE, UPBEAT TUNE IS A STANDOUT OF THE SET AND WE ALL HELP HIM SING THE BRIDGE, “DON’T WE ALL NEED LOVE? THE ANSWER IS EASY.”

BY THIS POINT WE’RE ALL FEELING WARMED UP AND READY TO HEAR “LISTEN TO THE MAN.” THE BRASS SECTION IS REALLY ENHANCES THE LIVE SOUND ALONGSIDE EZRA’S STUNNING BARITONE VOCALS. HE GIVES AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE WITH “PARADISE” FULL OF CONTINUOUS CHORUSES THAT GAIN MOMENTUM WITH EACH AND EVERY BREATH. EZRA REMINDS US OF A TRACK (“SONG 6”) THAT MIGHT’VE SLIPPED THROUGH THE NET, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE DON’T LOVE IT JUST AS MUCH. HE THEN LIVENS THINGS UP ON A DO-SI-DO DANCE NUMBER WITH A COUNTRY VIBE.

THE AUDIENCE LITERALLY STOMPS THE HARDWOOD FLOOR WITH EXCITEMENT AS HE SINGS “BLAME IT ON ME,” BEFORE HE TEASES AN ENCORE. EZRA INEVITABLY RETURNS WITH ANOTHER NEW SONG CALLED “SHOTGUN.” “I STILL HAVEN’T PASSED MY DRIVING TEST,” HE ADMITS. HIS REASONING IS QUITE SIMPLE, REALLY, BECAUSE THIS WAY AS A PASSENGER HE ALWAYS GETS TO PICK THE MUSIC, HE TELLS. THE FINAL SONG OF THE EVENING IS ONE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH “BUDAPEST,” DESPITE ITS TITLE. IN FACT, WHILST TRAVELLING AROUND EUROPE HE WAS SO HUNG-OVER ONE DAY THAT HE ACTUALLY MISSED HIS TRAIN STOP AT THIS CITY. THIS MOTIVATED HIM TO WRITE HIS BREAKTHROUGH HIT ABOUT BEING MILES AWAY AND LISTING THE THINGS HE DOESN’T HAVE THAT HE WOULD GIVE UP FOR LOVE. “IT’S NOT THAT BAD TO MISS A TRAIN ONCE IN A WHILE,” HE JOKES. NOW EZRA’S TRAVELLING THE WORLD AND SELLING OUT SHOWS ALONG THE WAY. TONIGHT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH THE WAIT AND IF THIS TASTE OF FRESH MATERIAL IS ANYTHING TO GO BY, HIS NEW ALBUM IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO.

WRITTEN BY: MICHAEL PREBEG

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