Plini – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 15th March @ Max Watts, Melb/Naarm VIC
Plini
Max Watts, Melbourne/Naarm, Vic
March 15th, 2024Support: Jakub Zytecki, Sungazer
Many artists are simply underrated. The reasons behind the underappreciated nature of some of these artists can be myriad and complex, and geographical background can be a factor. Breaking out of a non-traditional market can be daunting and highly difficult.
Jakub Zytecki hails from a non-English-speaking central European nation (Poland), which is a long way, geographically and culturally, from the western hubs of rock music. He is also unquestionably one of the most gifted guitar players on the planet today, though few beyond his hardcore following and the tiny niche that is progressive guitar music would have heard of him. That may be why he is afforded just a brief opening set on this tour.
If musical talent was all that mattered, he would be headlining his own big shows across the planet. Unfortunately, that is not the musical world we live in.
However, that hardcore following knows what’s what with JT, and they show up in their droves for his set. The sold-out venue is packed at 8:30pm for the start of his show, and boy, does he and his band give us a treat. The band (Zytecki on guitar and occasional vocals, a fantastic drummer, and a bassist who also handles the keyboard textures) is quite mesmerising, creating a sound that is simultaneously ambient and powerful, a sound that belies the fact that there are only three of them up there.
For 40 minutes, this band mesmerises the Max Watts crowd with its superb instrumental and compositional skill. The focus, of course, is on Zytecki himself. Personality-wise, he is unassuming to the point of shyness, while letting his sublime guitar skills shine like a beacon of beauty. He does not feel an overly strong need to show off constantly, keeping it tasteful for much of the set. But when he shreds, man, can he shred. As well as anyone in the world right now.
If there is one minor disappointment with his set, it’s that he only pulls out one of his vocal pieces (in fact, it’s the only formally-sung tune of the entire night) – ‘Heart’, which just happens to be best cut from his vocally-oriented latest album Remind Me. He possesses a sweet and understated voice, it would have been good to hear more of it.
It’s a small gripe however, in the greater scheme of things. Zytecki’s forays from Poland to Australia may be few and far between (I interviewed him several years ago, and at that time he was doubtful he would ever make it out here – very happy he proved himself wrong), so tonight, we savour and make the absolute most of the 40 minutes we have with him.
It’s a truly international bill tonight, which is brilliant to see. From Poland, we turn Stateside for the enigma that is Sungazer. For the uninitiated (of whom I was one before tonight), they are a self-proclaimed jazzy/fusion all-instrumental ensemble (they even pull out a Mahavishnu Orchestra cover at one point), comprising of guitar, bass, drums and sax.
The first thing you notice about them is that they are enormously entertaining – their music is fun, as well as complex, their stage moves are hilarious and their between-song banter is a riot. They do their utmost to get the crowd involved too (a difficult proposition for a band with no lyrics to sing along with), and we respond in kind.
Dig a little deeper and you’ll find a band creating highly nuanced music who, at the same time, don’t take themselves too seriously.
Tonight they give us a highly engaging 40 minutes of vocal-free wizardry and wonder, as well as a few laughs along the way, and they walk away from this show with probably around 800 new fans. Despite the very left-of-centre nature of their presentation.
Back to Australia now for the headline act.
It has truly been a thing of beauty watching the career of Sydney-based guitarist Plini burgeon and blossom over the last decade or so. The fact that he plays an all-instrumental, jazz and fusion-influenced style of music, that resides about a million miles from the mainstream, only makes it all the more impressive. And tonight, he headlines to a packed-solid large club venue in the middle of Melbourne.
It’s all a rather wonderful achievement, driven by talent and hard work.
And tonight, he makes the very most of it, winding his set out to the 90-minute mark, including tunes from most of the eras of his career, before bringing a bunch of players from the opening two acts (including the great Zytecki) back onto the stage for a scintillating all-star jam that takes the crowd’s breath away. Watching these guys take turns ripping out blistering solos (including the saxophonist of Sungazer) is simply a joy to behold, one of those ‘moments in time’ musical experiences you get to witness every so often.
Plini himself is unquestionably a world-class guitarist and composer, as well as a smooth, self-deprecating performer, rolling out the banter and gliding across the stage as his fingers glide effortlessly across the fretboard. But the members of his band behind him are actually every bit as good at what they do as he is, and this makes for one compelling and enjoyable package.
What a night, what a celebration. This will come up as one of the gigs of the year at the end of 2024, no question.
Review by: Rod Whitfield
Setlist
The Red Fox
I’ll Tell You Someday
Papelillo
Ember
Impulse Voices
Still Life
Handmade Cities
Sunhead
Flâneur
Cascade
Paper Moon
Pan
Electric Sunrise
Photo Gallery by Jade Vassiaras Insta: @a.snapshot.of
Please credit Wall of Sound and Jade Vassiaras if you repost photos.
Jakub Zytecki
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Sungazer
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Plini
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