Jeff Martin - The Heritage Hotel, Bulli (8th May, 2010)

 Canada's Jeff Martin - of  Tea Party fame - made his way to Bulli's Heritage Hotel alongside multi-instrumentalist and Armada band-mate Jay Cortez. Soulshine's Kim Rudner and Max Easton were down south in the suburb of Wollongong to see a set full of Tea Party, Armada and new solo tracks.

It's hard to escape Jeff Martin if you're an Australian. The former Tea Party front-man has called the country his second home over the past few years, with multiple Australia tours each year culminating in his current application for residency, a move that seemed to have been celebrated by getting back in the bus and touring the nation yet again. Kicking off in NSW, he took an early stop at Bulli's newly renovated Heritage Hotel, a venue with phenomenal colonial interiors and great acoustics. The backdrop of elaborate cornices, ceilings and chandeliers set a haunting scene for a man who has been blending Middle Eastern sounds with various modes of rock for over 20 years. The dark qualities of his work with the Tea Party has seen him jokingly described as Canada's Prince of Darkness, a moniker that was very much absent from a chilled set at the Heritage.

If there's anything you can say about Jeff Martin's solo show, is that he and Jay Cortez have a musical bond that is almost flawless. Regardless of which direction any song was taken, the two managed to seamlessly blend their style to create a set that was flowing and wholesome, without the stilted quality that some greatest hits sets can take. Re-imagining Tea Party and Armada classics amongst some of his new solo work, the two played an hour's worth of rock-inspired folk, with the tinny undertones of Middle Eastern and Indian styled stringed instruments layered under Martin's acoustic guitars. With what seemed to be an endless plethora of rotating Maton's, Martin and Cortez toyed with a range of different sounds, from the heavy-laden 'Morocco' from the Armada's self-titled album to covers of Led Zeppelin and the modest 'Heartbeats' by the Knife. Martin's endlessly deep voice achieves an emotive level that is barely rivaled by today's line-up of singer songwriters, making for a unique and surreal musical experience.

The combination of the Heritage Hotel's intricate interiors, Bulli's hospitality and Jeff Martin's masterful set of varied genre-meshing folk-rock made for a unique night out. Each and every time Martin embarks on an Australian tour he manages to impress and satisfy, and this night was no different. From what we saw this show is definitely something that's not to be missed if you can get along to a show...which, if you're lucky enough to be a resident of the Southern states, you'll get a chance of seeing on the following dates:

4 May - Corner Hotel, Melbourne VIC

15 May - Pelly Bar, Frankston VIC

16 May - Ruby's Lounge, Belgrave VIC

18 May - Tonic Bar, Launceston TAS

19 May - The Republic Bar, Hobart TAS

21 May - Jive, Adelaide SA

22 May, Jive, Adelaide SA