It’s a quiet Sunday night at The Hamilton Station Hotel. Travelling bluesman Frank Sultana is in town as part of a massive national tour that has been winding around the country since February.
Lucas Road opened up proceedings armed with only an acoustic guitar and his voice. Road is a great fit for supporting Frank Sultana, with a sound that mixes elements of Folk and Blues. His dry humour introduces the songs nicely, and he throws in a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘State Trooper’ for good measure.
After a short break, Frank Sultana sits in the centre of the stage for a long, commanding set. Sultana is usually accompanied by his backing band The Sinister Kids, but tonight he was in solo mode.
Sultana’s set-up seemed minimal at first; a parlour guitar and a six-string banjo, but the further the set went on the more it was apparent that it was all he needed. He threw in some slide guitar for good measure, and had a loop pedal that he used sparingly, but to great effect.
Sultana’s voice is soulful and dark, with an ability to carry the weight of every song he sings; from murder ballads to a fantastic cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Outlaw Blues’. Frank Sultana’s set was all killer and no filler.
