LIVE REVIEW: ROSE CARLEO with MICK ADKINS – 21 June, 2015

Shane | 25 June 2015 | Reply

LIVE REVIEW: ROSE CARLEO with MICK ADKINS – 21 June, 2015
The Brooklands Tavern, Perth, Western Australia – Sunday, 21 June, 2015
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
Photography by Tia Pinnegar

Perth expat Rose Carleo made a final stop on her homecoming mini-tour in support of latest album, the hard-rocking Time Is Now, with a casual Sunday session appearance in duo form with musical and life partner Mick Adkins.

The show started as it finished – with the twosome wielding acoustic guitars and letting Carleo’s powerhouse voice steal the show. Carleo strummed away for the most part, while Adkins showed he was as fiery an acoustic soloist as he is when plugged in out front of his hard rocking Rogue Sharks outfit.

[Show picture list]

One sure sign of a great song is when it can be bookended by decades-old classics and come out shining, and Ten Years, Time Is Now, Anchor, Pieces, Down & Dirty from the new record all stand tall next to singalongs from an Aussie-heavy line-up including the likes of Paul Kelly, Billy Thorpe, Cold Chisel and Baby Animals.

The Baby Animals comparison is apt – the Time Is Now album departs from Carleo’s first two country music-leaning records with a rocking sound that recalls the debut from Suze DeMarchi’s band, and her vocals are in the same ballpark as well.

There’s a huge audience out there ready for music like this – the hard part is making it reach them in the current musical climate. Considering one local radio station that brags about ‘keeping real music alive’, and has Baby Animals on high rotation, turned down flat the opportunity to feature Carleo in the studio, says that something ain’t right out there in the music industry.

Despite that, Carleo and Adkins showed that real music was indeed the order of the day – just two guitars and a voice. People sang, clapped along and – this being a suburban Sunday, after all – kids danced and begged (successfully) their parents to buy the album. When you’re talking about real talent, that’s all you need for a world-class gig, no matter how laid back or low key it might be.