Chet Faker — Gig Review

For the past two years, Chet Faker has wooed Australia with warm laid-back
music, and that is exactly what he delivered to Adelaide. Following an
incredibly successful 2014, filled with awards and number 1 hits, Chet took
to the road with his world-wide Built on Glass Tour. Adelaide’s finest op-shop picks, top-knots and unshaven chins assembled at Thebarton Theatre
to pay homage to their bearded God.

Melbourne’s synth duo GL opened the night with relaxed electronic beats
that were overlapped with Ella Thompson’s feminine, vibrato vocals. GL’s
beat orientated sound prepared the crowd for the rest of the night in an
almost hypnotic fashion.

Roland Tings’ fervent performance upped the energy and anticipation in
the room. Boogying and grooving through the duration of his set, he
exchanged his natural enthusiasm and talent with Adelaide. His complex
house music created the sensation of being in an underground nightclub,
where $20 cocktails are spilt on the floor and classy club-goers bob to the
nonchalant sounds coming from the DJ booth.

A chorus of enthusiastic applause and hands of worship raised into the air
to welcome the long awaited Chet Faker to the stage. Each instrument
melted together to produce the smooth sounds we all know and love,
ensuring that every song was a crowd-pleaser. It is a difficult task to pick a
favourite when every song has its own unique musical elements, while at
the same time remain unmistakably and exclusively so Chet Faker. It was
not about costume or theatre, but about good music and Chet sharing
what he loves.

After finishing the opening song, Chet simply gave the group in the front
row an ultimatum, “Move back and let those who want to be part of the
experience come forward, or put the iPhones away.” Until this moment, it
seemed impossible to like Chet Faker even more.

Whether it was an instrumental, or one of his more well-known songs, the
crowd was more than inclined to sway and soak in the gooey rhythms
being played. A mix of old and new from both albums, Thinking in Textures
and Built on Glass, were played; Melt, Cigarettes and Chocolate, 1998, No
Diggity, and of course, Drop the Game, the much loved collaboration with
Flume.

Lights illuminated the singer from behind, shooting gigantic shadows of
him against Thebarton Theatre walls. This carefully configured lighting
contributed to the brilliance of the music so that it seemed to transport the
audience to another dimension, where the only artist worth listening to was
Chet Faker.

The highlight of a night, full of highlights, was Dead Body, in which Chet
Faker performed an extended guitar solo that was both mesmerising and
infectious, and managed to entirely consume ones soul. A true reminder of
how music can profoundly alter a person’s mood and happiness.

This multi-talented man coolly switched from keyboard to synthesizer to
microphone to guitar and back. Chet Faker is a true illustration of the
incredible talent, innovation and creativity Australia has to offer the world.