The Dead South, the four piece Saskatchewan bluegrass sensation, played the second show of their 9 date Australia/NZ tour on Saturday night at a sold-out Odeon Theatre here in Hobart. This is a semi-rare treat to see an act of international standing make their way to Hobart, and the band, Nate Hilts (lead vocals, guitar, mandolin), Colton Crawford (banjo, kick drum), Danny Kenyon (cello) and Scott Pringle (guitar, mandolin, vocals) were rewarded for their show of faith in the Tasmanian audience with the large crowd giving the band a rousing reception as they hit the stage.
The crowd, somewhat surprisingly, sang along at full voice to virtually every song, with the band exuberantly belting their way through a highly polished set including tracks from across gamut of their back-catalogue, such as the opener, Diamond Ring, Black Lung and Snakeman Parts 1&2 from their Sugar & Joy LP; Every Man Needs A Chew, and Dead Man’s Isle from the Illusion & Doubt LP and The Recap, The Dead South and their smash internet sensation, In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company (with over 342 million hits on Youtube) from debut LP, Good Company.
The Dead South were more than ably supported by the largely unannounced Missouri (US) blues rockers, The Hooten Hallers, a trio made up of guitar (John Randall), drums (Andy Rehm) and baritone saxaphone (Kellie Everett). The Hooten Hollers warmed up the large crowd beautifully, and set the tone for the rest of the evening with their raucous energy and presence.
The tour continues through Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane (two shows) and Melbourne before heading across The Tasman to New Zealand, with two shows in Auckland. All shows are sold out.
All Photography – ©fullonrockphotography/Andrew Fuller
