Xavier Rudd at The Enmore Theatre

The distinction of Xavier Rudd’s last album Darker Shades Of Blue could not have been clearer at The Enmore Theatre on Thursday night. With his new album Koonyum Sun and the addition of a new band, Izintaba; his fresh mellow sound was welcomed by every dreadlocked, incense lover this side of Sydney.

Opening with the organic track Love Comes And Goes, the bare-footed multi-instrumentalist shared the glory with South African band mates Tio Moloantoa and Andile Nqubezelo. The theatre filled with powerful thick rhythms and applause. It felt more like a celebration than a concert and in many respects it was; evidence of their past hardships, both political and personal were nowhere to be seen.

Xavier indulged in evocative long interludes with Koonyum Sun tracks Set Me Free, Fresh Green Freedom and Sky To The Ground. Izintaba left their posts to play their instruments on bended knee before Xavier. Their respect for one another was paramount and mutual. Family and audience members were invited onstage for his latest single Time To Smile. Xavier stepped out from behind his three didgeridoo’s to dance with his fans, letting them sing and chant with him.

The set predominantly focused on the new upbeat bohemian album with only a few select performances from Food In The Belly like The Mother and Messages. Not one track from Darker Shades Of Blue was played making the set a festive folk journey through roots and tribal adulations.

The jovial track Let Me Be saw crowd members sing every lyric verbatim and even whistle along to Xavier’s slide guitar and harmonica. Bassist Tio Moloantoa relished in his deep musical breakdown, his guitar almost eclipsing his small frame. Xavier laughed and said, “He’s a small guy with big balls!”

A group-hug was clinched before the three band-mates left the stage giving us the peace sign. Xavier Rudd and Izintaba bid farewell with three encore songs, the last track was the worldly Reasons We Were Blessed. They expressed their gratitude to both Indigenous Australians and South Africans for sharing their land and culture and being the inspiration for Koonyum Sun.