Technically, this was a Glenn Richards gig.  Yeah, right.  While he might have been alone on stage, the other members of Augie March (well, Adam and Dave, anyway) were lounging back in the audience with a beer or two, ready to heckle and see just how he went about performing those songs without their expert assistance.

Thus did Glenn take on the audience single-handed, and win.  He began somewhat tentatively, understandable since Augie March had not done a show for months, and he had to adjust to the sound qualities of the room and so on.  Gradually, he drew the audience into his world with a simple acoustic six-string and his soaring voice.  Not that he knew it.  One of his first comments was "Is this coming across as fairly gentle, or is it more... boring?"  It drew laughter from the audience - definitely not boring, Glenn.

Glenn did a wonderful version of the Split Enz song 'Charlie'.  I've never heard the original, but my guess is that it would have been more menancing perhaps, but nowhere as eerie.  His fingers danced over the strings in smooth arpeggios during 'Rich Girl'.  'Owen's Lament' without the metronome and assorted instruments sounded totally different, but just as beautiful as ever.

It was a lovely and intimate gig - a friendly audience with as many friends as fans (and apparently, one obnoxious heckler).  It was fantastic to finally hear the new songs 'Three Hundred Nights', 'Heartbeat & Sails' and 'The Hole In Your Roof'.  The last one in particular stood out for Glenn's phrasing (that may sound weird and pretentious, but just listen to the song when you get it) - and from unsubstantiated rumours, it may be the first single.

Alas, at length, too quickly, he had to wind up the set - that's what comes of being the support act.  And like Cinderella we sat, wondering how the time had passed with barely a flicker.

Do you think Glenn might be interested doing a residency somewhere in Melbourne?

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