Review: Paul Dempsey @ Thebarton Theatre 15/11/25
Paul Dempsey arrives back in “The Kingdom” to take aim at some covers. Not surprising that he didn’t miss a single shot.
Words Brad Pine // Image Ashley Ludkin
Paul DEmpsey w/Carla Geneve @ Thebarton Theatre 15/11/25
For full disclosure, one of the first albums I ever bought with my own hard-earned money was Something For Kate’s Echolalia. That album stayed in my 3-disc micro hi-fi system for a long time. From there, I was an instant fan of Paul Dempsey and co. But this was the first time I had seen Dempsey solo – just a man and his guitar.
Instead of the plethora of original Something For Kate and solo tracks he has to choose from, Dempsey has taken on the trepidatious task of touring with a suitcase full of other people’s songs. However, this is not a path less travelled for Dempsey. With Something For Kate and other solo shows, audiences have witnessed Dempsey weave covers into his setlists. In 2013, he released Shotgun Karaoke, a concept album based on some single-take attempts at songs during the downtime of touring. Cut to October this year, and we get a sequel, Shotgun Karaoke Vol. II, featuring amazing takes on well-known pop classics and obscure tracks from artists Paul personally adores.
Before the doors opened, the venture into the newly restored Thebarton Theatre was a nostalgic experience. Memories of my first non-parent-assisted concert experience watching Muse on their Absolution Tour came flooding back. The aesthetic of Thebarton Theatre has been built upon with the renovation, and this added another visual foundation for the music ahead.
Whilst I had some mild seating confusion initially, I was able to settle in before the arrival of Carla Geneve. The Western Australian singer-songwriter let out a reserved “hello” before transitioning into her song ‘Feel’. Her voice resonated with tinges of familiarity, encompassing the hallmarks of other Australian indie pop and folk artists. Relatively unknown to the South Australian audience, her performance garnered a new following with thoughtful lyricism and moving melodies. As the set progressed, Geneve’s connection to the Adelaide audience allowed her to try out a new song (possibly titled ‘Skimpies And Miners’). We enthusiastically took on the gift. She ended her set with a superb rendition of Tina Turner’s classic ‘Simply The Best’, leaving the crowd wanting just a few more songs from her.
The brief interval was brought to a close with stark lighting, anticipating the arrival of Dempsey. Bob Dylan’s ‘Ballad Of A Thin Man’ echoed throughout when the man of the hour stepped into the light. Straight into MGMT’s ‘Time To Pretend’, Dempsey set the scene with a perfectly titled song for the realm of cover versions – pretending that the song is your own. However, Dempsey has this knack to make any cover seem like he crafted it himself. The opening track was his; any notion of it being written by anyone else was gone.
Delving into his latest album, we were engrossed in ‘Losing My Religion’. From that moment, it was evident that Dempsey could sonically fill a packed theatre similar to Something For Kate. As Dempsey is flying solo with this tour, his setlist shines with the tracks he loves. We were blessed with lesser-known tracks from bands like Concrete Blonde and Bright Eyes, and a classic from the unequalled Jeff Buckley. In one of the night’s many highlights, Dempsey uncannily channelled the singer-songwriter during his take on ‘Last Goodbye’. Anyone unaware of his incredible musicality was privy to it now.
Then came the moment when the “shotgun” came into play. Dempsey asked us what we wanted to hear. Suggestions flew thick and fast towards the stage – INXS! Wilco! Cher! Patti Smith! Even I was shouting out for a live performance of Sam Brown’s ‘Stop’. Ultimately, Bad Religion’s ‘Faith Alone’ graced our ears, Dempsey taking the punk anthem and accentuating the poignant lyrics. Crowd participation became a common theme throughout the night, notably with the audience recreating the guitar solo from Queen’s ‘I Want To Break Free’.
The benefit of well-crafted cover versions is that they unlock different memories for different people. Be it David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars’ – thirty years after Something For Kate supported Bowie on his Australian leg of the Reality Tour, or Dempsey teasing us with the intro to ‘Nothing Else Matters’ – connecting to his youth and that of his family’s recent Metallica viewings. Personally, Dempsey’s cover of World Party’s ‘Ship Of Fools’ took me back to my early days of music discovery; hearing it on the radio and recording it onto tape, making sure to cut off the announcer at the song’s end.
Geneve returned to the stage and joined Dempsey for an amazing rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’. This not only showed how in sync and connected the two are, but also their prowess on the acoustic guitar. A beautiful moment that had people on their feet in rapturous applause.
After his powerful performance of Cher’s ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, Demspey wished us goodnight. But not for long. The ground shook in anticipation of the encore. It wasn’t even half a minute, and Dempsey walked back on. More verbal requests belted the stage before he decided to take on a song he had only done a couple of times before – Miley Cyrus’s ‘Wrecking Ball’. The song enhanced his gravelly tone to smash the audience into a riot of applause. The encore ended with Max Q’s ‘Way Of The World’ and finally with what Dempsey mentioned as one of the greatest songs of all time – Don Henley’s ‘Boys Of Summer’.
The “Kingdom”, as Dempsey has dubbed Adelaide, was visited by Australian music royalty. Paul Dempsey is one of our best musicians, and everyone in attendance left delighted, knowing they had witnessed a truly great night.
