It would have been simple for Chet Faker – real name Nick Murphy – to take the easy road with his current tour. After four years slogging away as an independent artist, he’s suddenly become the golden boy of mellow-electronic-pop, his achievements are splashed across the internet, and his four-song-strong Hottest 100 haul elevated his street credibility with even the coolest of critics.
Yet instead of lazily riding the success wave, Faker seems to be making a statement: he’s not just a brooding musician creating songs that are best experienced on a hot, slow night in the dim light of someone else’s bedroom. He’s an artist, and – somewhat surprisingly – a showman.
His performance at the 2015 Perth festival was intricate in its presentation. From the light show to the smooth backing band that was only called upon when absolutely necessary, the show was tight without feeling contrived. Each song featured a twist, turn or peak that can’t be heard on Faker’s debut record Built On Glass, and the musician made good use of the technical kit on stage, ducking back and forth to add in loops and tweak the beat.
Faker commanded the audience throughout the set. The atmosphere was charged, the air was thick, and singing out from under his signature beanie and beard, he enveloped us. The ability to switch from the sensual, reverberating rumble injected into songs like Melt, to the earnest middle range of songs like Cigarettes & Loneliness was impressive. Along with a carefully curated set list covering songs from his first EP Thinking in Textures and current record Built On Glass, Faker threw in a pared-back cover of Van Morrison’s Moondance – the perfect addition.
It was evident throughout the show that Faker is fiercely dedicated to his art – his ability to take a genre that can remain a niche market and turn it into something relatable and raw is notable. He chose Gold to end his intimate set, the audience swaying closer and closer, falling right into the musician’s hands. For the final time that night, Chet Faker proved that he’s something more.
- Chet Faker tours Australia until 7 March, before dates in South America and the US
