<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>338375</docID> <postdate>2025-02-15 13:05:56</postdate> <headline>‘Domesticated’ Smith’s at the top of his game</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-338376" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/image0-resized-e1739584996568.jpeg" alt="" width="1045" height="697" /></p> <caption>Fred Smith and Jacqueline Bradley performing Domestic at Smith's Alternative. Photo: Michael Wilson</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Music / Domestic, Fred Smith and his band. At Smiths Alternative, February 14. Reviewed by </span><b>MICHAEL WILSON</b>.</span></p> <p><strong>In recent years Fred Smith might have been most recognised as a sharp musical commentator on Australia’s engagements in conflict and humanitarian relief in the Middle East. </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His latest album, Domestic, premiered at the Adelaide Fringe, is a contrasting collection of songs: humorous, plaintive, reflective and sentimental. Fred brought his catalogue of love songs and reflections on life to the intimate cocoon of Smiths Alternative on Valentine's Day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While this performance showcased the new album, it was equally a journey through Fred’s back catalogue of ballads and quirky reflections on life, with his trademark self-effacing narrative about his songwriting inspirations. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With deadpan humour, Fred is refreshingly honest about his musical influences, and ready to poke fun at his younger self. With a quintessentially Australian irreverence, the audience was taken on a journey of a young musician finding his songwriting feet, a history lesson on the Canberra arts scene (Trying To Make Words Rhyme), and even the second Trump presidency (It’s a Crisis). </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Subtlety is always a characteristic of a performance by Fred Smith and his band. The gentle phrasing of his unpretentious tenor voice, the almost imperceptible underpinning from Matt Nightingale on double bass, exquisitely controlled harmony vocals from Jacqueline Bradley and the concentrated caress of the keyboard by Hayden Kinsman.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The ballads in the set were almost meditative, and next the audience was asked to join in for songs such as the heavy-metal parody My Girlfriend or the bluesy Ding Dang Dong. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many songwriters in what could be broadly classified as the folk tradition concentrate on words that deliver a message and a memorable melody.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Fred Smith’s writing certainly does this, some of the instrumental and harmony vocal arrangements are anything but predictable. This adds greatly to the fabric of sound produced by this band, using only minimal amplification. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it’s least expected, the piano goes into syncopated rhythm, or a passage of triplets. When singing in parallel thirds passes for harmony in much popular music today, Jacqueline Bradley goes duelling with Fred on songs such as Why Can’t She Be Satisfied.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The band on this night was very tight, but relaxed and responsive to Fred’s mood. Mitch Preston on drums unobtrusively drove the tempo changes, and Fiele Geier on electric guitar brought a brassiness to the sound against Fred on acoustic guitars. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As well as delivering backing and lead vocals, Jacqueline Bradley delivered a bluegrass mood on banjo for songs such as Time Flies, and played fiddle in other parts of the set. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most poignant moments in the concert were Fred’s tributes to his wife Maryanne (including in You Know What It’s Like) and his achingly sentimental reflection on becoming a parent, Beautiful Girl.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Even many of Fred Smith’s devoted fans would not have seen so much of his softer side before. This performance and the new album Domestic just confirms that Fred Smith is a significant artist at the top of his game, and continuing to extend his range. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> </body>