Live Review: The Kill Devil Hills, Peter Bibby

On a cold, wintry Perth night, the crowd outside the Navy Club curled around the street, everyone hoping to make it inside for one of the hot tickets of the 2016 Hidden Treasures festival: The Kill Devil Hills playing their legendary Heathen Songs in its entirety.
Those fortunate enough to make it in caught Peter Bibby first off — the perfect opener to the evening. Accompanied by drummer Dave Taylor and Pete Gower on bass, he played story songs about life, with a larrikin, down-to-earth wit. Occasionally ragged, the trio found their groove quickly, Bibby's deep insights winning us all over. The group finished their set with an extended bluesy, rhythmic jam — a great lead-in for what was to follow.

Twelve years since Heathen Songs, everyone was wondering how close The Kill Devil Hills would stay to the album. Much of the speculation was put to rest as soon as the band launched into Changin' The Weather, original members Brendon Humphries, Alex Archer and Steve Joines joined by newer blood Todd Pickett, Timothy Nelson and Ryan Dux, bringing back old memories in a powerful, fresh way.

Next up, the perennial favourite, Gunslinger and the dancers made like cowboys and the guy who always kicks in with the words too early did his thing and we loved it.

Two songs on, The Heathen Song was a standout with Archer's spooky fiddling transporting us to a hellish place dripping with Spanish moss and mist. Rampant speculation about who of the original group might appear was laid to rest when Steve Gibson and Justin Castley burst onto the stage for the aching wail of Drinking Too Much. The gorgeous songs rolled on with the most beautiful song of the album, the tender Brown Skin losing none of its intimacy and sensuality in the live setting.

Finally Gibbo and Castley again joined the current line-up for the powerful Kill Devil Hills — a dark tale that could be a movie in the making.

So ended Heathen Songs but not the band who after a small pause moved into the hypnotic Hydra. The night was finished with a track that declared to old fans and new that while the era of Heathen Songs is the stuff of legends, The Kill Devil Hills remains a huge part of our collective future.