I watched with interest as Darren Percival won the hearts of the nation on The Voice. While many Aussies might not have known his name before the reality competition, I’d long admired his soulful voice and joyous delivery when he shared the stage with artists like Jimmy Barnes and James Morrison. When he took out second place, I wondered whether the days of seeing Darren play in small venues may be behind me. However it seems Darren’s in no hurry to trade up to stadiums. When it came to choosing a venue for the start of his Happy Home tour, he couldn’t resist selecting one of the smallest of them all: Lizotte’s.
Darren could easily fill much larger places. His two shows at the original Lizotte’s sold out months ago. And he will graduate to greater halls when he plays the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne’s Crown Casino in the coming weeks. But clearly there’s a big part of Darren that revels in the intimacy a small venue can provide. He chatted easily to the enthralled crowd between songs, and played a generous two-hour set without the aid of a support act.
The mix of originals, covers performed on The Voice, and some other favourite numbers ensured the set never dragged. A display of Darren’s famous looping prowess was a real highlight, as was a sweet song to his unborn child played on ukulele. Darren’s power isn’t just about musical tricks and familiar songs though. The often remarked upon joy that radiated from Darren as he performed on The Voice was even more palpable in the flesh. Despite a trying day, I could feel myself smiling through the entire set. His resonant voice is flawless, but Darren’s charisma is what really draws you in and keeps you there.
After such a lengthy set many artists would have felt they’d given all they could give, but not Darren. He was still happily signing autographs and posing for photographs when fatigue got the best of me. He might be one of the hottest acts in the Australian music industry at the moment, but it’s refreshing to see Darren’s got his feet planted firmly on the ground.
Image source: own photos