Xavier Rudd And The United Nations
Multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and humanitarian Xavier Rudd performed an overwhelmingly beautiful concert at this year’s Darwin Festival with his band the United Nations.
Xavier Rudd and the United Nations kicked off The Flag tour, off the back of their second single release Flag from the band’s debut album NANNA.
The Darwin Amphitheatre stage was decorated with a global line of musicians sharing stories intrinsic to them.
When the entire band are on stage their strength can be felt. And in an open-air concert under the stars in the Darwin dry season, the show wasn’t anything less than electrifying.
Rudd is well-known for his egalitarian-style performances, almost as much as he is known for multi-instrumental skills during a song.
He has grown artistically and yet his grass-root sound is still woven into his music. I find him more eccentric looking than the laid-back surfer guy I remember a few years ago.
Could this be because he has finally come into his own with the United Nations?
In my opinion, the concept of this band is similar to Sly and the family stone, which in the 70s was possibly the strongest multi-cultural band breaking barriers with messages of unity. Move forward to 2015, and Rudd’s message of a global community shines through the music.
Every member of the United Nations deserves to personally highlighted in this review, but it would take too long.
Alone, each musician brought a moment of flutter for me with either a funky bass line, drum solo, or a flute which sounded like a birdsong – but the winners for me were the two female vocalists accompanying Rudd’s songs.
Xavier Rudd and the United Nations has been a dream project for Rudd and the band are proving to be an unstoppable movement.
They’re more than a cross-cultural collective. They are creating a new agenda in Australian and world music.
Xavier Rudd and the United Nations are touring The Flag across Australia until October. It is Rudd’s biggest regional tour since 2012.
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