Steve Smyth

The Evelyn Hotel

In a darkly lit bar on a Wednesday night, a crowd of fans gather together to witness the under rated genius of Steve Smyth.

Sauntering onto the stage, effortlessly cool Steve begins the set with ‘ Get On’  from the 2014 release ‘ Exits’.

Having released his EP ‘ Matches’ recently this is the first time Australian fans have heard songs like ‘ Petrol Head’ and ‘ Wait For You’ performed live.When he beings to sing ‘ Written and Spoken’ the audience collectively hold their breaths. The lyrics are so perfectly constructed, and beautifully performed. Sharing a variety of songs from across his collection, the audience are delighted to ‘Barbiturate Cowboy’ ‘Rock A Bye Baby’ and ‘ Girls in Hotels’.

If the stage was an alter and Steve was giving a sermon, then we the audience are his loyal congregation and this is one Church that makes sense. His voice fluctuates from gritty and grungy to sweet and melodic in the space of a few bars, showcasing his incredible vocal range.

Steve Smyth is a talent that is like an oyster- gritty and rough around the edges, but cracked open a pearl reveals itself, hidden to those that know him. His energy on stage is captivating, you don’t want to turn away from the performance for a second, it’s a nectar from the Gods. Often it’s independent artists like Steve that give these incredible performances in dive bars in Melbourne that make listening to music the joy that it should be, an organic experience of words that come from a complex soul, an artist born to create. He doesn’t lean on props or gimmicks, confetti canons or fireworks- it’s all just raw talent.

Whether he is playing to an audience of five thousand fans or a small intimate venue like tonight’s Steve gives so much of himself to the performance, his whole being becoming one with the music. It is like nothing else you will ever witness and his energy will stay with you long after he puts his guitar down.

Words and images by Amanda Lee Starkey