Jeremy Loops
170 Russell
Wed 15 July
It’s been a while since South African troubadour Jeremy Loops has toured Australia, and the crowd at 170 Russell are ready to welcome the charismatic star to the stage.
Opening for the show are trio Tom River, who play a nice set, unfortunately lacking in much energy but they do have a great sound. Margaret River native Tom has a gift for storytelling, with songs that wave a beautiful tapestry into his work, which resonates with the audience. However, with Loops being such a big personality it seems like a bit of a mismatch.
Soon enough it’s time for Jeremy Loops, and he walks casually onto the stage with a big smile. It’s obvious from the get- go that it’s going to be a relatively relaxed gig, and Loops is a seasoned professional. Being loose actually adds to his on stage charm.
There doesn’t seem to be a set list, so Loops plays what he feels, songs like “ Waves” from his critically acclaimed “ Critical As Water” sophomore album are thrown in with newer numbers and requests from the crowd.
The band has wonderful chemistry, saxophonist Hiram Koopman almost steals the show at times, he brings a fantastic vibe to the show. Jumping in later in the set
Motheo Moleko jumps in to rap and collab on a few songs, rounding out the very loose enjoyable vibe.
The thing about Loops is, that he is a talented musician whose entire charm works on bringing a relaxed atmosphere to his gigs. They’re never too serious, it’s fun and the energy is great. He’s a very underrated performer, and unfortunately doesn’t tour Australia that often. So it’s a very rare treat to have Loops back in the country and hopefully he doesn’t leave it too much longer to return.
As the show winds down, the energy never stops, at one point Loops says he’ll play past the 11 pm curfew and pay the fine, he’s having that much fun. And he really is, with his full band, a little pyro and great vibes he’s having the time of his life, the audience is just lucky enough to witness it.
