Shane Nicholson has released several brilliant albums, produced others, and won lots of awards, so it’s safe to say that when he has an idea it’s likely to be a good one. It was his idea to create the show For the Sake of the Song and invite beloved country music artist (also a multiple award winner) Sara Storer and legendary singer-songwriter Shane Howard to join him.
Having seen the show in Sydney tonight, I can confirm his idea was not only solid but inspired. There were the usual moments one would expect when three artists used to working alone come together on stage to form a band, of sorts. They’re not moments of awkwardness but, rather, charm: the occasional lyric forgotten, and a laugh about it afterwards; a set list misread and songs therefore performed in an unexpected order. There was an abundance of respect amongst the artists for each other and for the audience. And there were many, many moments that were absolutely sublime. The three of them singing together – especially when Nicholson and Storer harmonised with Howard’s lead vocal, the tones they found, the currents they flowed on – produced chills of the good kind. And Nicholson’s ‘Broken Things’ with Storer on backing vocals was such an outstanding new version of the song that I hope they record it!
All three artists were on stage for the whole show, apart from one song when Storer was offstage and the two Shanes performed alone. They have a drummer and bass player with them, and the headliners are all guitarists, with Howard and Nicholson swapping between electric and acoustic. Opening with Townes van Zandt’s ‘For the Sake of the Song’, each artist then had one song each before we moved into three apiece from each of them, a form of mini-set still with all musicians on stage, then another round of one each and more to finish. I’m very familiar with Nicholson’s and Storer’s catalogues and loved their choices of songs, which were not ‘hits’ so much as songs chosen to fit this show, and with each other’s songs. It made the experience feel special, and personal, and as Nicholson intended: a show about songs, performed by songwriters. It was a bonus that those songwriters who also happen to be great and distinctive singers, and one can only hope that the format will continue, so we can see who Nicholson puts together next.
There are four shows left in the current run of For the Sake of the Song, all in Victoria:
Thursday 14th May – Memo Music Hall – St Kilda, VIC
Friday 15th May – Theatre Royal – Castlemaine, VIC
Saturday 16th May – Queenscliff Town Hall – Queenscliff, VIC
Sunday 17th May – Archies Creek Hall – Archies Creek, VIC
