There’s no doubt Kirin J Callinan has overcome any second guessing, emerging as a holy grail of absolute self-expression and individualism.
It’s been a while since Kirin J Callinan has been home, so on his long awaited return, he made sure he charmed the shit out of us. To be honest though, it’s hard for him to be anything but entirely alluring.
The Sydney-born provocateur released his first studio album Embracism back in 2013 to varied acclaim and has basically been on the road ever since, both with solo projects and his side-acts Jack Ladder and the Dreamlanders and The Night Game. His second album Bravado was written back in 2014 and released this June, building on the sound he pioneered in his debut; jagged industrial guitar spasms and cheesy EDM laced love ballads, to put it simply.
The man himself is as unconventional as they come. Last Saturday night at Oxford Art Factory after an opening set from Spike Fuck, he emerged on stage in full cowboy get-up and declared that the show’s noted closing time was 11.30pm, but they’d be playing for a lot longer than that.
He was shortly joined on stage by his brothers Mahne and Tex, and later local legend Donny Benet on bass, while he proceeded with some typical antics – including his infamous a cappella solo The Toddler, which garnered the arrival of one doozy of a stage crasher.
The precision and confidence with which he delivers his live performance is unmatched. It’s palpable and downright inspiring, and your eyes cannot tear away for the world.
If you missed the Sydney leg of his tour, you can catch him in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Freo, as well as Splendour in the Grass. Believe me, you’ll want to see this man in action.
Words and photos by Dani Hansen.
