Ordinarily once an artist gets to the stage in their careers where they’re selling out the Opera House forecourt, you’ve missed the chance to catch them in an intimate venue. But Dermot Kennedy is no ordinary artist. He revels in playing in beautiful places, regularly announcing pop-up gigs that complement his paid shows around the world. Last night it was Sydney’s turn to witness one of these magical events when he played The Doss House in Talla-wo-la-dah/The Rocks.
I’m still pinching myself that I got the chance to see one of my favourite artists in such a special space. A beautiful sandstone building, you can feel the history seeping from the walls. To call it intimate is an understatement. We were told just 80 of us would get in, but once we were ushered through we discovered maybe about 40-50 of us would be in the same room as Dermot. The rest would have to be content in the courtyard, peeking through a window at the action inside. I have never been more excited to take my seat in the front row, maybe 30 centimetres away from the mic stand. What a stark difference from the last Dermot show I saw at the Hordern Pavilion!
Dermot was still five hours from gracing us with his presence at that point, but with wine and conversation flowing freely that time passed quickly. Soon enough we were told we could purchase one of the limited-edition Australian-exclusive copies of Dermot’s latest album Sonder and meet the man himself. He was as warm and sweet (and let’s face it, handsome) as I could have hoped for. And then we were settled in for our special acoustic performance.
And when I say acoustic, I mean acoustic. He did away with the mic stand, deciding it was unnecessary for a space like this. His guitar didn’t need plugging in either. This is as raw as music gets, and it was wonderful. You could have heard a pin drop as he launched into recently released single “Two Hearts.” I marvelled at how special it was to experience “For Island Fires and Family” like this, in such a quiet space. He always performs that song unaccompanied, but at the Hordern there was so much chatter impinging on the moment. But here, everyone was attentive, drinking in every word, every note. The more upbeat “Kiss Me” helped us find our voices. Or perhaps it was the trays of whiskey generously passed around. Either way, the singalong continued with “Outnumbered” before we ushered out into the night. While we were told entry would be first-come, first-served, Dermot wasn’t going to leave hundreds of people disappointed so he agreed to play another set for as many of those people who would fit inside. He’s just that kind of artist.
I feel so incredibly blessed that I got to see one of my favourite artists in such a beautiful space so up close and personal. And to share it with such wonderful people. Crowds that give their attention and respect to the artist are worth their weight in gold. Dermot has a few more pop-up shows before he kicks off his Australian tour. Like the show at The Doss House, I’m sure they’ll be incredible.
18 November 2023 – Music Farmers Record Store, Woolyungah/Wollongong (FREE)
18 November 2023 – La La La’s, Woolyungah/Wollongong (FREE)
19 November 2023 – The Royal, Bundi/Bondi Beach (FREE)
21 November 2023 – Jimmy O’Neill’s, Euro Yuroke/St Kilda (FREE)
22 November 2023 – Oh! Jean Records, Naarm/Melbourne (FREE)
22 November 2023 – Thornbury Picture House, Naarm/Melbourne (FREE)
24 November 2023 – Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Naarm/Melbourne
25 November 2023 – Spilt Milk Festival @ Exhibition Park, Ngunnawal/Canberra
26 November 2023 – Spilt Milk Festival @ Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Kombumerri/Gold Coast
2 December 2023 – Spilt Milk Festival @ Victoria Park, Wadawurrung/Ballarat
3 December 2023 – Spilt Milk Festival @ Claremont Showground, Boorloo/Perth
6 December 2023 – Opera House Forecourt, Eora/Sydney
7 December 2023 – Opera House Forecourt, Eora/Sydney (SOLD OUT)
8 December 2023 – Opera House Forecourt, Eora/Sydney (SOLD OUT)
10 December 2023 – Riverstage, Meeanjin/Brisbane
Image source: own photo