Cody Chesnutt at Galatos

By ALAN PERROTT

A comfortably full Galatos received an intimate revivalist show on Saturday night, musically and spiritually, that was as infectiously joyful as it was kick ass.

Many had been scratching their heads, wondering what Cody Chesnutt was going to offer and were left shaking them in wonder over a set of righteously funky rock.

He emerged from a side door draped in a scarlet robe, joined in a series of soul brother greetings before taking the stage as a guitar-toting, homespun preacherman mashed up with a Marvin Gaye/Jimi Hendrix horndog.

In a tidy link, he explained late in his set how spirituality comes in right handy during climactic moments with his wife.

Swimming somewhere between both poles was a touch of madness, a la reggae nutbar Lee Scratch Perry.

In support was his crunchily tight rhythm section featuring a bass player who looked as if he had walked off the set of retro rock flick Almost Famous and a drummer channelling the spirits of Animal and Keith Moon.

With these elements in place, Chesnutt preached a sweaty sermon that was reverent, loving and good humoured.

The vibe threatened to falter when he took to his keyboard, bearing a copy of The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, but was reinvigorated by an elongated take on The Seed, a track popularised by hip-hop/funk amalgam the Roots.

Finally, after singing his all, he climbed down, walked into the crowd and chatted, posed for photos and generally charmed all and sundry. Hard to describe really without suggesting self-indulgence. You really had to be there.