When Australians think of Thirsty Merc, the words ‘quintessential Australian rock band’ are generally some of the first that come to mind. To some degree, this is true as many of their hit songs fall into the broad genre of Aussie pub rock. But there’s more to Thirsty Merc than most bands. Lead singer Rai Thistlethwayte described it best when he talked about living in a share house on a street wedged between a jazz bar and the Annandale Hotel. Nothing could encapsulate the music of Thirsty Merc better than that. 

Almost every song, even the most ‘rocky’ numbers were infused with jazz. This is reflective of the group’s background, as Thistlethwayte commenced a degree in jazz piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and continues to be a prolific figure on the jazz circuit. The opening songs of ‘My Completeness’ and ‘The Good Life’ hinted at this fusion from the start of the set, with Thistlethwayte’s jazz piano skills on the latter number a particular highlight.

Lead guitarist Matt Smith and bassist Phil Stack were also in fine form throughout the gig, especially Smith, who had to cover multiple guitar parts after Thistlethwayte broke a string early in the gig. The band performed seamlessly together and chose a set that worked well in the performance space, the gorgeous Hayden Orpheum. Typically a movie theatre, this meant that most of the gig was seated which allowed for some more acoustic and jazzy arrangements of songs. 

This ultimately allowed the band to show off their musicianship and creativity, which was most evident when they took an audience request to perform ‘Katie Q’, a song they hadn’t performed for over a decade. Without any fanfare or preparation, the band launched into a slowed-down version of the song, featuring an extended jazz improvisation in the middle. To reinvent one of their classic songs in the middle of the set with no preparation took extraordinary skill and was appreciated by an especially knowledgeable audience. 

While much of the focus was on the musicianship of the band, Thistlethwayte’s voice was also something to behold. Every song was sung note-perfect and Thistlethwayte’s clear and evocative tone shone through the whole gig. The jazz influences were there but when it came time to belt the biggest numbers of the set, the raspy upper register of his voice stood up to the test brilliantly. 

The highlight of the night was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a rousing rendition of the band’s biggest hit ’20 Good Reasons’ which possessed all of the power and drive of the original recording. This was followed up by an encore of ‘In the Summertime’ which had the whole crowd form a mosh pit at the front of the theatre to savour the band’s last song. It was a fitting way to close out a superb gig by a band, who twenty years on, still feel like they are at the peak of their powers. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Thirsty Merc – Hayden Orpheum – 24^th February 2024