REVIEW: The Gracious Deviants and Tommy Pickett

THE GRACIOUS DEVIANTS / TOMMY PICKETT
BAR BODEGA
WEDNESDAY 30 MAY

By Charlette Hannah

It was a quiet Wednesday night. The students were on the street smoking in their pyjamas as usual as we headed down Willis St to Bodega.

Walking into the bar, I was a little disappointed by the turn out. Ok, it was the middle of the week, but this is the capital city. Don’t we have a thriving music scene? Where’s the support?

At least the audience members that were there seemed to appreciate the music – the applause was enough for double the crowd. And it was well deserved. The Gracious Deviants started off the show, and did two sets of their melodic acoustic folk songs. Two male singer/guitarists, with particularly good harmonies, their songs were described by fellow performer Tommy Pickett as ‘bits of chocolate, one after the other’. At one point he paused while talking to me to listen to ‘a particularly good bit of chocolate’.

Then Tommy got up himself, to ‘warm down’ for the band he was supposed to be warming up for. After explaining he’d double booked himself and had just rushed from a gig at the Hotel Bristol, he proceeded to play his own unique style of acoustic folk/Americana. Tommy has a real smooth voice, and a confident guitar style. He also has commendable between songs chatter. I’m always impressed by that. Probably more than I should be.