If you’ve not heard of Russell Crowe’s Indoor Garden Party then your life is about to be enhanced. Having just released their second album, the Hollywood actor’s musical project is currently in the midst of a tour that has already seem them play at the Colosseum in Rome and this year’s Glastonbury Festival. As a huge Rugby League fan it made sense for Russell to stop at some Rugby League towns and we were thrilled to welcome him to Warrington’s Parr Hall.
Backed by a sizeable band, Russell delivered a set of self-penned songs that are inspired by his own life – including ‘Killing Song’, ‘Water Is Stronger Than Stone’ and ‘Let Your Light Shine’. An uplifting number, the latter saw not just hundreds of phone torches decorate the Parr Hall, but also a flurry of fans rush to the front where they danced for the remainder of the evening.
Embracing a wide range of musical styles, Russell curated an eclectic setlist that blended folk, rock, and acoustic influences seamlessly. The stage brimmed with talent beyond the typical quartet, featuring brass that complemented the bluesy guitar riff of ‘Don’t Be So Kind’ and multiple backing singers who enriched the uplifting choral atmosphere of ‘Time & Kindness’. The band skillfully harnessed the infectious energy of a solid beat, ensuring that each song – the old school country track ‘Killing Song’ in particular – kept the audience tapping their feet throughout.
Though the original tracks on the setlist are all out in the wild, Russell and co further enhanced the party atmosphere by sprinkling the set with a selection of covers, most of which feature on the second half of the recently released album, Pros and Cons. Not only are the covers not obvious choices, but they’re also total reworks, with crowd favourites including Red Lane’s ‘Blackjack County Chain’ and Leonard Cohen ‘Take This Waltz’.
As well as Irish songstress Lorraine O’Reilly, who took the lead on a couple of tracks, there was another special guest who was quite the surprise – Charlie Crowe, who impressed on ‘Nothing Can Be Done’. Looking sharp in a waistcoat, Russell’s oldest son has clearly inherited his father’s talents. His vocals, with their silky smooth tone, stand in striking contrast to Russell’s rustic charm.
As charismatic as you’d expect, Russell is a perfect frontman and some of the highlights of the evening lay in the stories that he told between tracks – from the tongue in cheek story behind his track ‘Southampton’ to the emotional tale of when he recently took his mother to the Sistine Chapel, before launching into ‘Michelangelo’s God’. For those unfamiliar with his background beyond Hollywood success, what’s particularly intriguing is his long-standing career as a musician, starting with busking to cover his rent. The 1980s saw him release a track titled ‘I Want to Be Like Marlon Brando’ under the name Russ le Roq, before launching his first band Roman Anti with one of his childhood friends.
As they approached the two hour mark, a milestone that the majority of artists don’t tend to reach, Russell and his band capped off their triumphant set with a triple whammy of covers: Dire Straits’ ‘Romeo & Juliet’, Amy Shark’s ‘Psycho’ – featuring Lorraine on vocals – and Johnny Cash’s ‘Folsom Prison Blues’.
Since he first brought his Indoor Garden Party shows to the UK back in 2017, Russell has often described them to be “an event, a band, a happening” and this show certainly lived up to that description. A truly unique evening of entertainment that the people of Warrington will remember for a long time.
