One Is The Loneliest Number

... so said Harry Nilsson. And tonight, at the Wesley Anne in Northcote, there was no exception to that seemingly steadfast rule. Ryan Murphy played a solo gig, and he seemed to be at pains to explain this to the crowd after every song. Perhaps he had a massive complex about appearing to have no friends, maybe he was there to promote his band, 'Ryan and The Lion', but at no stage during the performance did he want us to be under the impression that he was normally a solo artist.

"This is just a solo-sort-of-thing that I'm doing tonight" he told the crowd in a very cool and aloof manner - which is just the sort of thing that High St artisans love to hear. "I'm usually up here with my band, Ryan and the Lion - but tonight, on this ocassion, it's just me".

The three minute information report of his missing myriad of musical mates was commonplace after every song as Ryan used advanced technology to record and loop sound effects that he was making on his guitar and with his voice, that was clearly a desperate attempt to fill the musical soundscape left vacant by his bereft band.

He sang songs about bitches, songs about chicks, songs about girls and songs about being beaten up - which a lot of High-St hepcats can relate to as the Northcote area prides itself on loose women and unprovoked beatings.

His return to the stage next Thursday at the same venue "with my amazing band" was announced before his last song in one last desperate attempt to assure us that heaven no, he's NOT a solo artist.

Desperate I was, after the show to approach him and ask him if was in band or something.

His Roger Federer good looks, his increasingly clever use of the guitar to gain anything but conventional sounds, and his verbal re-iteration of blatantly pointless points, will be enough to ensure my attendance at next Thursday's gig.

3 woos out of 5.

JC

*Pics of the good looking man to follow...