Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses @ Enmore Theatre

Tex Perkins and the Dark Horses @ The Enmore Theatre

Sydney, AUS

November 23, 2014

The Newtown area was part of the land of the Cadigal band of the Eora people, who ranged across the entire area from the southern shores of Sydney Harbour to Botany Bay. It was through the land management methods of the aboriginal people that the extensive grasslands proved ideal breeding grounds for kangaroos. The lyric-sized Enmore Theatre, located in the heart of Newtown, is the longest running live music venue still operational in New South Wales.                                                

Tex Perkins’ Dark Horses project started out as a vehicle for Perkins’ solo singer-songwriting endeavours, with Charlie Owens, one of OZ’s most heralded and prolific guitarists, playing an integral part. Over time it has morphed into something resembling a “real” band. The Dark Horses comprise aspects of the Cruel Sea and the Beasts of Bourbon (your humble narrator’s favourite Australian band, and the incarnation that gained Tex iconic status), which makes for an interesting mélange – one that is more on the reserved, contemplative, introspective and borderline delicate side compared to the often nihilistic approach of his other bands. Tex Perkins, the man who invented the sport of zone ball, a cross between Australian rules football and tennis, is never a letdown in a live environment: A charismatic, imposing figure on stage who knows how to entertain in between songs with witty, self-deprecating one-liners and banter.

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Words: T, "era vulgaris"

Photo: Jason Ilagan