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Paul Dempsey
Shotgun Karaoke Tour
Palais Theatre
Paul Dempsey, better known as the frontman of Something For Kate has yet again released a brilliant album of covers, appropriately titled Shotgun Karaoke Volume 2.
In his beloved hometown of Melbourne he stands in front of the audience dressed in a red jacket, one guitar to accompany him. Having dipped the audience’s toes into a sea of melancholy with opening act Carla Geneve, the crowd is more than ready for Paul to serenade us with his unique voice.
Opening with ‘Time To Pretend’ a MGMT cover, he follows it quickly with ‘ Losing My Religion’ ( REM) much to the audience’s delight.
This evening’s audience are a passionate bunch with a crowd member calling out a greeting from the top balcony- a Chris Kelly from Bendigo, whose voice projects loudly across the theatre. Dempsey laughs it off, ever the professional.
There are very few artists with the vocal range of the late Jeff Buckley, however Dempsey is one artist that can pull it off. He doesn’t mimic Buckley as he covers ‘ Last Goodbye’, instead he makes the song his own.
It’s also very fitting to note that on the 28th anniversary of Michael Hutchence’s death he pays tribute to the icon of Australian music by doing his own version of ‘ Never Tear Us Apart’.
The Palais is normally a very formal venue, where people come to sit in silence and watch their favourite artists perform upon its stage. However, Dempsey with his boyish charm and exceptional vocals has managed to turn the venue into a pub- style sing a- long with eager audience members shouting out unintelligible requests at every opportunity.
And that’s the beauty of Paul Dempsey’s ability to sing other people’s songs. He can take the most upbeat pop song – like Cher’s ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ and turn it into something almost mournful and beautiful. It’s a rare talent and what makes his Shotgun Karaoke so brilliant.
As the evening wraps up and the heavens have opened up to drizzle rain upon us all, Dempsey has performed an eclectic array of songs, from different artists and genres and presented to the audience as whole new pieces to inspire and bring joy to all that love hearing Dempsey sing. He is a unique talent that is one of Australia’s most enjoyable to watch.
