Ron Pope, Cam Nacson @ Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne (15/11/2012)
Photo by Steven Taylor
Hosted at Chapel Street’s, Chapel Off Chapel, I arrived at the venue to find a line already gathering despite the thirty minutes till the set time of play. There was a sizeable crowd to cheer Ron Pope’s first ever Australia show.
The first to enter the stage was Cam Nacson. Cam, who has been touring alongside Ron in America last year, opened with a monologue for the inspiration behind each song he sung, nevertheless the audience adored his every word. Nacson’s husky voice proved to be quite powerful in it’s own right, rising at its peak when called upon and in-turn creating a strong partnership with the flow of the acoustic guitar played throughout his entire set.
By the time Ron Pope came upon the stage, it was easy to tell that the audience were already reveling in the atmosphere Nacson had created. Intimate would be the best term to describe the setting created by the two artists, as each song sung by Pope and Nacson would be ample piece for a lover serenading their confidant. Pope himself presented lively show due to the sheer amount of interaction he gave to the crowd. Detailing his experiences of the tour so far, Pope conversing with the audience allowed energetic mood often unfounded at most concerts.
Shifting between the categories of past, present and future when choosing his songs. Pope performance clearly outlined the singer’s excitement for his first ever show in Australia, an energy carried in the force of his voice creating that extra depth of insightfulness when singing the words from his latest album ‘Atlanta’.
His expression of ‘Tears of Blood’ is stored in the softness of his voice; this was most evident when he began reciting the lyrics, which seemed to carry the lost of love exampled in the song. To conclude the night, Pope sang his most famous song ‘A Drop In The Ocean’ but encouraged the audience to sing alongside himself, despite the somber, intimate atmosphere already felt. Of course, the audience readily agreed without hesitation resulting in a standing ovation for a beautifully polished show.
Jason Cheung
The first to enter the stage was Cam Nacson. Cam, who has been touring alongside Ron in America last year, opened with a monologue for the inspiration behind each song he sung, nevertheless the audience adored his every word. Nacson’s husky voice proved to be quite powerful in it’s own right, rising at its peak when called upon and in-turn creating a strong partnership with the flow of the acoustic guitar played throughout his entire set.
By the time Ron Pope came upon the stage, it was easy to tell that the audience were already reveling in the atmosphere Nacson had created. Intimate would be the best term to describe the setting created by the two artists, as each song sung by Pope and Nacson would be ample piece for a lover serenading their confidant. Pope himself presented lively show due to the sheer amount of interaction he gave to the crowd. Detailing his experiences of the tour so far, Pope conversing with the audience allowed energetic mood often unfounded at most concerts.
Shifting between the categories of past, present and future when choosing his songs. Pope performance clearly outlined the singer’s excitement for his first ever show in Australia, an energy carried in the force of his voice creating that extra depth of insightfulness when singing the words from his latest album ‘Atlanta’.
His expression of ‘Tears of Blood’ is stored in the softness of his voice; this was most evident when he began reciting the lyrics, which seemed to carry the lost of love exampled in the song. To conclude the night, Pope sang his most famous song ‘A Drop In The Ocean’ but encouraged the audience to sing alongside himself, despite the somber, intimate atmosphere already felt. Of course, the audience readily agreed without hesitation resulting in a standing ovation for a beautifully polished show.
Jason Cheung