Music

Keyboard player, singer, songwriter, producer, Aria Hall of Famer, Member of the Order of Australia – Brian Cadd definitely could be, and usually is, called a legend. And at 72 years of age, he is still stunning audiences around the world.

Tonight he was in Adelaide to do a single show at the Fringe and I was lucky enough to catch this at the Spiegeltent. It was the first time I had seen Cadd live for a few years and he was as entertaining as ever, and a whole lot more relaxed.

This time round, he is promoting a new album ‘Silver City’, an Americana style homage to his 50 plus year career, produced in Nashville, Tennessee by Mark Moffatt, one of Australia’s and Nashville’s, most respected producers,.

From the minute he walked out on stage,  Brian Cadd gave his audience everything they wanted, ripping straight into a great start with Eye of a Hurricane, from the new album – which he shamelessly informed us he was going to be “flogging mercilessly” (and indeed, why not?), before  he ran through some of the biggest hits from his own repertoire and those made famous by the myriad performers who have recorded his work. He had the audience right with him when he launched into the Axiom favourite, Arkansas Grass, and although the Silver City numbers were impressive, there was a sneaking suspicion that the oldies were the goodies and that’s what they wanted. Silver City Birthday Celebration Day covered both bets, as it was a rocky reworking of one of his earliest compositions, and we almost got classical when he laughingly popped in a few chords of Fur Elise! Not only was there good music, the easy banter brought the show close up and personal and they lapped it up.

The 5 piece backing band was, as could be expected, tight and efficient, with some fine guitar work, although the show was nearly usurped by the young lady who played a mean fiddle and accordian, then also proceeded to take over Caddy’s keyboards!

One hour was all too short and the audience and band were all surprised when he was given the hurry up signal and there was time for only one to finish

– and it had to be Don’t You Know It’s Magic, which had the audience up and begging for more.

Yes, Brian Cadd has still got it alright.

Sadly, this was the only Adelaide show, but we can still hope he’ll be back for the next Adelaide Fringe.