Here’s a little secret. Even I – a fan of dynamic beats and heavy, loud music – need some soothing, positive and life-affirming tunes in my life sometimes.
So I was really looking forward to seeing Ziggy Alberts in Berlin in the first half of 2020. But we all know what happened then.
It took me four years to be in the same time and place as the Aussie artist again. Watching him perform made me realise how much I miss Australia and being close to nature and the ocean every day.
PART 193 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Ziggy Alberts‘ story is not your usual one.
He hasn’t been singing, songwriting or performing since his childhood days. It wasn’t quite his dream to be a musician, either. He didn’t pick up the guitar until his parents gave him one when he was 16. It was their encouragement that led to his current profession.
Ziggy didn’t even plan on doing anything creative in his life. He thought he was going to become… a dentist or an engineer. (What a huge loss to those two industries, I’m sure.)
But the Universe always finds a way to steer us in the direction that makes us complete. (See? This is the spiritual side of me talking.) 14 years after receiving the gift that changed his life, the Aussie singer-songwriter boasts around 270k followers on IG and nearly 1.4 million monthly listeners on Spotify. He’s “perpetually on tour”, in his own words, but he clearly loves what he does. He also runs his own record label, Commonfolk Records.
His 2024 gigging calendar is full until the beginning of November, taking him to Portugal, the US, Mexico and Japan, amongst other places. The good news for me was that he also made a two-night stop in London in the first half of August.
Before I talk about Ziggy’s show in the UK capital, I need to mention his support act, though.
Her name is Steph Strings. She’s a talented singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, already making waves worldwide. She’s joining Ziggy for the UK and mainland Europe leg of his “New Love World Tour”.
And let me tell you – she packs a punch on the acoustic guitar. When I walked into the fairly packed O2 Forum in Kentish Town around 8 PM (one hour before Ziggy’s set), I was instantly hit by a powerful soundwave. It was Steph showing off her crazy skills.
Match that with an awesome sound system in the historic London venue and quite a few Aussies in the building that night (I know that because Steph surveyed the audience). It’s a perfect formula for firing up the crowd. So when it was Ziggy’s turn to shine, the audience was more than ready for the sing-alongs.
No wonder he appeared on stage with a bright smile that didn’t leave his face until the show’s end, sharing: “It’s good to be here.” (A fun fact: even when he’s singing, you can tell he’s smiling.) Barefoot and dressed in natural fabrics and earth tones, he instantly drew punters in by kicking the evening off with “Days in the Sun”, one of his most beloved and popular songs.
The entire set was a wholesome journey through Ziggy’s back catalogue with one of his most recent releases (and currently my fave song of his) “Outlaw” and an unreleased track with beautiful lyrics “Singing For Country”. So I can’t blame fans for belting out all 17 songs (and nearly making me deaf). They were warmly encouraged to do so by the artist himself.
Take the lads I was standing next to – a lively if a little rowdy mix of British, Aussie and Kiwi. Before Ziggy’s set, two were tasked with getting more beverages. At that time, the venue was nearly chockers. So it took them forever to complete the mission, which they didn’t hesitate to announce with a hearty “F this and F that” on their return.
You can imagine my astonishment when the opening chords to the second track of the night, “Gone (The Pocahontas Song)”, sounded in the room, resulting in the lads’ magical transformation. Suddenly, they became the sweetest indie folk fans, who knew every word of the song. That’s what the Aussie’s music does to people, I guess.
If you don’t know Ziggy Alberts’ repertoire well, he’s all about peace, love (in all its shapes and forms) and harmony.
His songwriting is super emotive advocating for taking care of one another and some respite in our hectic times. In his music, he often reminisces about people dear to him and his favourite places (i.e. the Sunshine Coast where he grew up). All that is reflected in the song titles: “Hands I Can Hold”, “Warm Coffee (The Market Song)”, “Where Does The Love Go?” or “Laps Around the Sun”.
Additionally, Ziggy frequently incorporates themes of climate change, our carbon footprint and the need for more respect for nature in his art. He stands for freedom of speech, unity and community. Recognising his environmental and social activism’s impact, his song “Together” was shortlisted for the Australian Environmental Music Prize in 2023.
Actually, if I were to choose a lyric from the artist’s catalogue, summarising his vibe the best way, it’d be this line from “Simple Things”: “Do you love the Ocean? / And could you love the Ocean with me?”
I’d even risk a statement sustainability is a part of his minimalistic stage set-up, too.
Recreating a familiar, intimate “living room/backyard” atmosphere in a venue with a 2.3k capacity (which was approximately 80% full that night, I think I heard Ziggy mention) is not an easy task at all. And that, I believe, was the whole concept of the gig.
A slightly raised, carpeted floor in the centre with the mic and pedals only. A small piano to the right. Focal lights, arranged in a semi-circle. Some mist and distinctive incense filling the air. And a rocky backdrop resembling the Aussie countryside. Oh, and the occasional sound of kookaburras in the pre-recorded spoken bits, which served as transitions between different parts of the gig.
But when you’re an indie artist whose main instrument is the guitar and you’re pretty much alone on stage most of the time, it’s probably good to mix things up a little.
Ziggy nailed that part of keeping the 90-minute gig dynamic and ensuring the audience stayed engaged. He changed his position frequently, switching to the piano for “Stronger”, impressing fans by playing the guitar flat on his lap for “getting low”, or performing in the middle of the room, surrounded by fans for two songs.
Despite this cozy and homey vibe, there was room for an Aussie sense of humour, too. At one point, Ziggy said: “Despite me having a moustache, I expect you to treat me seriously” when talking about the rules for the gig.
He’s an excellent storyteller (obviously!). So we also found out that he once got “cancelled for wearing shoes on stage.” His surf trips are “work-related, to collect content” for his music. And he shouted out people who were “dragged to this gig by your friends or partners and who have no idea about my music.”
On that last note – you can tell the Aussie muso cherishes human connection. He expressed deep gratitude to people who “took a chance on him” and credited his fans for changing his life “on many levels.”
Funny he should mention that last part, though, because he’s clearly had the same effect on his peers. Steph Strings talked about Ziggy in superlatives during her set, calling him “a wonderful performer and human being.” So it was only fitting they should play a song together. And what better choice for the occasion than Ziggy’s biggest banger to date?
“Runaway” was definitely the highlight for me. But the audience expressed its opinion when everyone started chanting the catchy chorus “Baby, will you love me now?” from the song that closed the main part of the gig. Hearing this enthusiastic reaction, Ziggy promptly returned for a 3-track encore.
Before finally saying goodbye, the Aussie muso stated: “If you guys are around, I’d love to come back sometime next year”. I guess it was just a cheeky, rhetorical comment to size up the venue for that next time. Given that Ziggy’s first gig in London was in a small café in Hackney (quite accidentally, my old hood) in 2015, he can now count on his UK fanbase 100%. I mean, the loud audience cheers were a testament to that.
I left the gig in high spirits, even considering returning for night two (until I realised I had other commitments). After a particularly demanding week at work, hearing Ziggy Alberts live was exactly what I needed.
For 90 minutes, I felt like I was back in Australia, experiencing what the land Down Under is to me: a beautiful, peaceful environment, fun and friendly people and outstanding music. In other words – good times.
Ziggy Alberts with support by Steph Strings – O2 Forum Kentish Town, London – Friday, August 9th, 2024
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