Ziggy Alberts Giant Dwarf Review

Ziggy Alberts’ “Start Over Summer Tour” has now surpassed its 3rd Sydney stop, the all-ages show at the Giant Dwarf Theatre being the final Sydney show on the massive 45+ show tour around the country. Having only played his new record “Four Feet in The Forest” to major cities in 18+ venues, this tour has been the first time Ziggy has brought together people of all ages, from big cities to regional communities, to experience his new music live.

With no support act for this leg of the tour, the keen and considerably young crowd was left without a warm up. However, once Ziggy walked onto the stage, the crowd’s energy lifted immediately, and his set list moved between tracks from “Land & Sea” and “Four Feet In The Forest” very smoothly. Sonically, there is a clear distinction between the recorded versions of these two projects, however each song in the set list transitioned fluidly and cohesively into the next. The songs from Ziggy’s debut record were given a new life and energy through the use of an electronic kick drum, rather than the acoustic one used at Ziggy’s previous shows as well as throughout the recording of the record.

The simple, yet well executed structure of the show progressed extremely well with a considerably positive crowd response. Ziggy began his show with some softer, ‘lap-tap’ songs, which, although did not produce loud crowd singalongs, allowed for the young crowd to absorb Ziggy’s ethereal presence on stage. These songs then folded into two of Ziggy’s softer ballads which allowed the crowds singing voices to gradually grow including ‘Slow Dance’ and ‘Settle Down’. The personal nature of these tracks was highly evident, adding a raw and emotional dimension to the performance. Next came ‘Better Off’, a song from Ziggy’s most recent project, which hinted at the energetic “folk-fiesta” that was yet to come, and allowed him to transition into a more upbeat performance. The popular upbeat and energetic songs that Ziggy performed later in his set were certainly a highlight, the rhythm of the kick drum, accompanied by constant crowd clapping lighting up the Giant Dwarf Theatre, highlights being “Gone” and “Simple Things”. The singalongs grew exponentially, and the entire crowd became one. Clearly the crowd’s high energy was infectious, for the on-stage dancing of Ziggy and his good friend Sam during fan favourite ‘Runaway’ resulted in a guitar chord being pulled out accidentally. This was however resolved quickly, reminding us that even Ziggy Alberts makes mistakes, and lifting the energy significantly for the last chorus of the night.

The standout of the night was the impact that Ziggy had on the crowd, and the effect this had on the show. The person that Ziggy presents himself to be on stage as well as through his music is the same person he is off stage. This was especially present in his storytelling between songs, during which he presented himself with vulnerability to the audience. This strengthened the bond and intimacy between the crowd and Ziggy, the story telling becoming crucial in understanding why and how his music has had such a lasting impact on all spectators of the show. Ziggy’s more serious and meaningful tales stemmed from topics such as stigmas surrounding mental illness, seen in his song “Tell Me (The Hoddevik Song)”, positivity in the news and media, prevalent in “Better Off (The Captain Planet Song)” and the ignorance of driving while using a mobile phone preluding “Start Over”. The narrative behind the tracks on “Land & Sea” were more personal and about love, with Zig recounting stories from his youth, and the nature and beauty of love itself.

Nothing quite compares to a Ziggy Alberts show. The meaningful, inspirational and sometimes hilarious stories, the emotional and impactful performance and the “folk-fiesta” that will make you want to dance and sing along. Ziggy is one to watch in the Australian music scene, his music is infectious and he is a positive and amazing role model for the youth of our country.