Entering quietly onstage, Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White, otherwise known as Dirty Three, face a packed crowd gathered in the spectacular setting of Oran Mor’s upstairs auditorium.
They open not with a song but one of Ellis’s meandering stories, which proves to be both imaginative and funny.
This eases the crowd before the onslaught begins and sets the pattern for the evening.
The first song starts with a slow build up as Ellis prances around the stage, playing his fiddle like a ukulele.
Once the fiddle is on his chin they sound like what can only be described as freeform rock jazz, a dazzling display of talent feeding off each other with Ellis orchestrating his fellow bandmates with growls and fierce looks.
His high kicks and howls add to the spectacle while the music stirs something deep within and transports you to an almost trance-like state and just when you think the music has reached it’s crescendo, they take it up another notch, which is nothing short of mind blowing.
Once the dust has settled Ellis lets us all digest what we’ve just heard and dives into another spellbinding story which serves as a great companion to the music, allowing both parties a break with a bit of humour and a breather before they gear up again for the next number.
During the final story of the evening, Ellis urges Turner and White to play alongside while he ties his ramblings up with the previous efforts of the night in a neat little bow before the final song leaves you awestruck by its power and volume – an incredible performance.
Words/pictures: Warrick Beyers
