Live Review: Charles Jenkins

On a hot day, Melburnians will look far and wide to find some respite from the heat. Cinemas, shopping centres, even their cars seem appealing when faced with the other option of sweating it out on the couch at home. So in the heat of the day on a (very) lazy Sunday afternoon, the prospect of an ice cold beverage and one of Australia's most talented singer-songwriters looks pretty dang good.

Leaving the heat, the trams and the Queen Vic Market outside, stepping onto the worn wooden boards of the Drunken Poet is like escaping to another world. The air conditioning takes the edge off, a pint of Guinness (dare I say, one of the best in Melbourne) soothes the soul, and it's easy to see how the ex-pats and whiskey lovers can spend hours sitting in this traditional-style Irish pub every week.

At 4pm, Charles Jenkins finishes tuning his guitar and launches into a couple of hours of homespun folk tales. Casual banter with audience members and the odd self-deprecating joke gives Jenkins a licence to do almost anything he wants. Thankfully, he chooses to sing songs of family and friendships, and with his acoustic guitar proving all the accompaniment that he needs (aside from some early feedback), it's a gorgeous way to spend the afternoon.

Tipping his hat to towns from Brisbane to Mildura, Jenkins woos the small but appreciative crowd, who have paid nothing to sit by the bar and listen to his songs. Offering tunes from his most recent album Love Your Crooked Neighbour With Your Crooked Heart and delving into his equally-impressive back catalogue, a couple of hours spent with Charles Jenkins at the Drunken Poet is as good a way as any to escape the heat on a Sunday afternoon.