Ron Sexsmith returned to Melbourne Recital Centre on 23 April for his first Australian tour in 11 years, delivering a measured, no-frills set built on the strength of his catalogue rather than presentation.
For most of the night he played acoustic guitar, moving to grand piano for “Worried Song,” “Spring of the Following Year” and “There’s a Rhythm.” He was backed by Jason Mercer (bass, backing vocals) and Don Kerr (drums, backing vocals), a tight, economical unit that kept arrangements close to the recorded versions.
The setlist covered a wide span of his career. Early songs like “Please Don’t Tell Me Why” and “Gold in Them Hills” sat alongside later material including “Former Glory.” “Strawberry Blonde” and “Hard Bargain” added some lift, but the tone stayed largely restrained.
Midway through the set, Mercer stepped offstage and Kerr moved to piano for “God Loves Everyone,” performed as a duo. “Sneak Out the Back Door” followed solo acoustic. The band returned for newer material, including “Don’t Lose Sight,” which fit comfortably alongside older songs. Sexsmith also returned to piano for “This Is How I Know.”
The main set closed with “Secret Heart,” still his most recognisable song. The encore was brief: “Some Dusty Things” on piano, followed by “Lemonade Stand” from the 2005 Sexsmith & Kerr album Destination Unknown, and “Seem to Recall.”
After a long gap between tours, the show confirmed there’s been little shift in Sexsmith’s approach—consistent songwriting, minimal arrangements, and a focus on delivery over variation. Let’s hope he doesn’t wait so long to return again. In the meantime you can still catch Ron and his band in Castlemaine, Adelaide and Perth. For tickets and info visit: https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/ronsexsmith/
Full setlist:
- Former Glory
- Please don’t tell me why
- Rose town
- Strawberry blonde
- hard bargain
- Camelot towers
- Worried song
- Spring of the following year
- There’s a rhythm
- Cigarette and cocktail
- Cheap hotel
- Can’t get my act together
- God loves everyone
- Sneak out the back door
- Don’t lose sight
- Damn well please
- This is how I know
- Gold in them hills
- Get in line
- When will the morning come
- Secret heart
- Some dusty things
- Lemonade Stand
- Seem to Recall