Review: Nev Pearce and Christian Stanger
Black and White Photos: Mike Lacey :instagram mikelacey15
A couple of years ago I came across a song called ‘Cocaine and Abel’ by American artist Amigo The Devil, a track with so much heart and honesty that I found myself sitting in my car in deep self–reflection staring at the dashboard. This then led me to the LP ‘Everything Is Fine’, which only sent me spiralling further down the rabbit hole and joining the Amigo fellowship.
As two album cycles passed, I’d hoped that Amigo (aka Danny Kiranos) would tour Australia but started to give up hope due to the post–Covid climate so when it was announced completely out of the blue that he would not only be heading down under but also kicking off the run on the Gold Coast, I could hardly believe it.
As everyone heads to the bar or goes out for a smoke, Danny unassumingly walks into the venue and warmly greets everyone he comes into contact with. He takes the time to thank them for coming out before heading to the stage to prepare. The man has this youthful, playful energy that is infectious and even, arresting. Even before the supports have strummed the first chords, it already feels more like a gathering of old friends than a gig. The question must be asked: “Is Amigo the Devil a cult leader?”
Support act, The Blackwater Fever (in its stripped back acoustic-state) captured the mood early with delicately strummed patterns with dark overtones and vocals that were both sweet and menacing. If you’ve seen Blackwater with the full band, you’re in for a surprise. Gone is the barrage of electro-southern blues, replaced with the intimacy and simplicity of the acoustic guitar, a microphone and a lone singer-songwriter, Shane Hicks, holding a captive audience.
After a 25 minute breather and, the man of the hour, Amigo The Devil takes the stage, flashing that massive smile and joyful eyes that can switch in a flash to a menacing, piercing gaze. Maybe it’s the Jager or maybe it’s the first night of an all but sold–out Aussie tour, but Danny is in a jovial mood. Even with the crowd packed like sardines and spilling out into Vinnies’ second room and with condensation building on the ceiling, the atmosphere is one of jubilation as he greets the crowd, explains that he can finally say “cunt” with abandon, before starting the set with If I’m Crazy.
The crowd has come prepared, not just singing along but often screaming every word back at man they came to see. In between tracks, he gaslights the majority of the crowd into singing the entire first verse of Smash Mouth’s regrettable track, All Star – while this reviewer shakes his head – and then tells them “that’s the wrong song”.
Such is the pre-mid-song banter, the mish–mash of interspersed covers and the unpredictable nature of the show, combined with the beers, keeping track of any sort of setlist was a fool’s errand.
The hour plus performance spans the man’s entire career and All of this interspersed with stories and anecdotes leaning on Danny’s instantly engaging smile and charisma. Even when things get slower, more honest and darker, like with newer track ‘Cannibal Within’, Danny brings the crowd with him. The laughter and the beer orders yelled at bartenders stops, the riveting gaze emerges and lines like “Come see how lonely of a hunter, the heart tends to be” hit all the harder.
Moving into more playful territory, a rousing ‘Murder At The Bingo Hall’ snaps us out of introspection into the tale of someone being just really good at playing Bingo. All with a sinister strum pattern and screams of “somebody call the cops, I’m killing it” and crowd participation reaching a crescendo with the singalong chorus.
Another stomper in the form of, Once Upon A Time In Texaco Pt 1 soon follows complete with the alteration of one line to “no one wants to die in a servo” for the Australian audience. Tracks like ‘Cocaine and Abel’ and ‘Hell and You” seem essential to any setlist and Danny does not disappoint and addition of ‘Hungover In Jonestown’ is a welcome addition toward the back end of the set, and causes the biggest crowd assist of the night during the final refrain of “life is a joke and death is the punchline”.
Danny is one with the crowd the entire night and finally steps off the stage and sets up camp among the front rows for a truly memorable rendering of the violent murder ballad, Perfect Wife. Finding a vantage point at this point is a difficult job but the atmosphere was loving, familial even, and I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen such an honest, joyful performance in 25 years of gigging.
Tonight is about celebration and community. It may as well have taken place in a Southport cul-de-sac, but tonight the crowd at Vinnie’s have been spellbound by a truly unique act that we hope to see again in the very near future. Saludos Amigo!
For remaining tickets and info:
https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/amigo-the-devil
