Lloyd Cole Small Ensemble

Overview

With the Amanda Palmer whirlwind freshly passed through town, another ex-label rocker turned successful, self-produced artist is coming to Sydney to fill our stage with sound. Having shot to fame with the Commotions, Lloyd Cole is touring Small Ensemble —the name of his new album and band. Cole has climbed and descended the heights of rock stardom, and he now finds himself in the same thrilling, awkward commercial space as Palmer. Having been eighties Polydor stardom, he runs his CD inventory from a spare room and raises his production funds through preorders.

Although the Small Ensemble is acoustic, they're no less electric for that. The new album has a few Commotions tracks like Four Flights Up and Perfect Skin, but most of the songs have a mellower rhythm. Matt Cullen and Mark Schwaber join Cole to make up the group, and they're joined in Sydney by Fred Maher and ex-Commotions keyboardist Blair Cowan. Cole himself has learned web-coding, travel writing and accountancy to keep his show on the road — not to mention his new musical groove. But the only skill you'll need to get in on his act is finding yourself a ticket.

Image by Paul Shoul.