Josh Pyke Memories and Dust Video

It`s not often that good singer songwriters emerge, really. It`s even less often that good Australian singer songwriters EVER get the chance to play London. I mean, it`s not that I don`t like Jack Johnson. Quite the opposite in fact. I`m a fan; but… it`s a bit old, really, isn`t it? Acoustic-surfer rock can only go so far… and let`s face it, Johnson is the be-all and end-all of the genre. Quite happily then, it emerges that the Australian in question tonight, a certain Mr. Josh Pyke isn`t a surfer. The night got better from that point onwards.

Somehow making jeans and a shirt look smart, the young Josh Pyke took to the Shepherds Bush Empire stage in the way that only a newish, support act can. Nimbly and carefully… forgoing any hint of arrogance, and carrying a distinct air of mystery about him. Some lucky people knew what was coming next, for us uneducated, we were in for a treat indeed, and a treat that would blow the aforementioned Johnson well out of the water, no pun intended.

Meandering though 11 or so tracks of unadulterated emotion, Pyke caressed about every issue under the sun with his disappointingly short half an hour set. Simple, yet intricate songs kept the audience utterly fixated on the stage with no-one in view missing a beat. "Memories and Dust" rambled along with heads nodding from the very beginning and "Middle of the hill" closed the set with perfectly simple lyrics which encapsulated the childhood of every person present and not. Even unceremonious tracks such as "Private Education" and "Beg Your Pardon" were met with warm reactions from the audience, and without a doubt when Pyke left the stage, he was immediately missed. Who needs a headline act when the support act is of the highest quality.

Due to the nature of his material, he is unlikely to be breaking any records in the near future, but Pykes talent is unquestionable. From the opening note to the closing clash of the cymbals his set was super sweet but at the same time sorrowful but forgiving. The tender lyrics and harmonious vocals would melt even the stoniest of hearts and why? Well, that is indeed the question. What Pyke is doing isn`t groundbreaking, it isn`t new, and it certainly isn`t an innovation… it`s merely pouring ones life and soul into the music, and for that, the man certainly can`t be faulted.

Maybe I`m getting cynical in my old age, but then again, maybe more and more bands are just singing about utter tripe. Let it be known, a good song doesn`t need ten minutes of ultra-technical fret work or a million and one instruments. A good song does however need heart, soul, and a little belief that the song in question, might just mean something to someone. Josh Pyke is guilty one hundred times over for this, and is without a doubt something pretty special. As most pretty special things, he`ll probably be under rated and over looked by many people for a long time, so take it from us now, http://www.joshpyke.com is his official website. You`d be doing yourself an injustice if you weren`t to go and take a look.

Gary Lancaster