Collaborations aren’t supposed to work. They’re generally naff or cringe worthy otherwise you wouldn’t have people like Franz Ferdinand and Sparks going and singing about the fact.
When Tim Rogers and The Bamboos came together in 2012 and made ‘I Got Burned’ more than a few people would’ve dismissed this as a happy accident or fluke. But now they’ve gone and created an excellent live show and a vibrant album to match.
The show at the Metro was supported by singer-songwriter, Ainslie Wills. This songstress had a beguiling voice and her sound was a sweet pop/rock blend that soared.
There is nothing subtle about Tim Rogers and The Bamboos, but they blend so well. The You Am I frontman brought the cool, rock star swagger while the group brought a real visceral sense of soulfulness.
Kylie Auldist’s voice was a virtual powerhouse that upstaged Roger’s loose and crooning falsetto on more than one occasion. Frontman, Lance Ferguson was the glue holding the music together and Rogers was the biggest diva, looking dapper in a suit before changing into a gold lamé jacket mid-set.
The group’s rich funk and bombast could be heard in ‘S.U.C.C.E.S.S’. It was a storming, war cry and whirlwind of raw power. For ‘The Rules of Attraction’ things were paired back, allowing this one to be an enjoyable and soft pop song about L.O.V.E.
The artists encouraged a whole lot of grooving and shaking and this was most certainly the case in ‘Me & The Devil’. The song was already rocking the crowd with its twisty bass and a catchy melody that sounded like it could have been taken from the theme tune to a spy film. But then the guys went and segued off into Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake It Off’ y’know just in case you didn’t get the memo about dancing.
The ghosts of James Brown and Michael Jackson would’ve smiled upon these Aussies when they played the soulful pop of’Handbreak’. ‘Better of Alone’ meanwhile, was a jubilant, break-up song that was a really fun surprise.
The musical coupling of Tim Rogers and The Bamboos was all about having a large musical party together. The artists enjoyed themselves at all times, like when they were trying to teach us that good things had never come simply in a track like ‘Easy’ or when they were covering and owning the You Am I hit ‘Heavy Heart’. The latter got the full band treatment and was a real highlight and lost none of the power and emotion of the original song, which is no mean feat.
The Bamboos and Tim Roger’s Sydney show was by no means a perfect one and there were a few minor lulls but overall, these artists did a fabulous job of making the audience feel really happy and giving them ample opportunities to shake their tail feathers. It basically meant that whoever said collaborations don’t work just hasn’t been part of the mirth, madness and merriment that is a show by Tim Rogers and The Bamboos.
