LIVE REVIEW: ROME + KING DUDE + THE MIDNIGHT MACABRE @ CROWBAR 29/08/25
Photo Charlyn Cameron
Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi. Photos Charlynn CameronIt was with much excitement that I headed off to The Crowbar to see and hear Luxembourgish singer and songwriter ROME (aka JeROME Reuter) play. It was his first ever performance in Brisbane. I was unsure what sort of night it was going to be as his music is dark, insightful and seriously good. The night also promised a set of songs from King Dude (singer-songwriter T.J. Cowgill) now a fully-fledged Brisbanite. However, the evening commenced with local band Midnight Macabre and their gothic country-tinged melodies.
The night had that dark vibe about it. Everyone was seriously dressed in black, there was lace, there were lots of sunglasses, surprisingly a few country fedora style hats and lots of silver jewellery. Into this heady mix, Midnight Macabre brought their gothic songs with real country music underscoring their blended haunting melodies with those eerie harmonies.
The Midnight Macabre are a dark folk trio that comprises of Carina (vocals) Tommy (guitar), and Tom ‘The Count’ (double bass). I must admit I am a sucker for the double bass and as the rhythm kicked in the band delivered the opening song ‘Bleach On My Blacks’. The vocals from the band were sweet and soared over the deep sounds of the rumble of the double bass and the guitars which sounded like one had its tunings dropped down and the other normal to give an unusually full off-kilter sound. You could hear it on ‘In The Dark’, and the fabulous song ‘The Villain’ which focused on the self-destructive behaviours.
The songs ‘Spooky Things’, ‘You Did This’ and ‘Your Last Breath’ had the crowd intrigued and engaged with Midnight Macabre’s songs and their lovely stage presence. They closed out their set with the song ‘Bleed, Repent, Plead’ and I was intrigued with the imagery in their songs and its musical origins. It was a great way to open the evening of music.
After a short break, and instrument changes with a skull placed on stage, King Dude (T.J. Cowgill) with his band Sam Haven and Piper Lodge took to the stage to deliver what I can only describe as dark Americana music and I couldn’t get the sonic or real image of Roy Orbison out of my mind (except King Dude did not do the dark glasses thing).
King Dude delivered a 13 song setlist of original music that covers a sonic landscape mired in gothic Americana tinged with folk, country and blues all mired in doom and dread; it is a sound so dark as it matches the pitch-black song narratives sung in a low baritone register. King Dude started the set with ‘My Beloved Ghost’ and then we headed into charred landscapes where God and the Devil wage a final battle for supremacy in ‘Deal With The Devil’, ‘Jesus In The Courtyard’ and ‘Forty-Fives Say Six Six Six’.
Piper Lodges’ sweet harmonies as the backing singer brought the darkness of the songs to the fore. While Sam Haven’s deep sounds on the synths and electronic percussion and drum pads gave the songs the structure to hold together under their own sonic and lyrical weight. What was astounding was the sonic register of King Dude which screamed out metal or heavy rock singer but wasn’t as this music embraces folk traditions going back centuries. The folk music and imagery played out in the songs: like the intense and amazing ‘Witches Hammer’, the vampire myths in ‘Silver Crucifix’, the strange love song of ‘Spiders In Her Hair’ (sung solo). King Dude was truly engaging when he spoke to the crowd and he praised the ‘good goths’ who had come out tonight.
Then, the most extraordinary event happened, when a ‘good goth’ member from the crowd jumped up to sing ‘Barbara Ann’ with King Dude. And it took crowd participation to a whole new level. The young man, who had a great voice, and said he “had been practising” joined together to sing ‘Barbara Ann’. The two deep voices intertwined to deliver a fantastic rendition of the song. It was funny that the young man’s phone went off at the end – who could be calling him?
Photo Charlyn Cameron
King Dude delivered crowd favourites and singalongs in the sinister ‘Born In Blood’, ‘River Of Gold’, and when his band returned to the stage they performed fantastic fantasy songs about a world without complications, where it's still possible to tell what is truly good and what is not, especially in the cover of neofolk band Backworld’s ‘The Devil’s Plaything’ and then followed it with ‘My Mother Was The Moon’. King Dude wrapped up their great set with ‘Desolate Hour’ with its nightmare scenario and subterranean. “Lucifer’s sun…you’ll come undone” indeed!
The stage at the Crowbar was then completely stripped back to one microphone stand and a single acoustic guitar. The crowd waited patiently for ROME. His performing name for this musical project is taken from the last four letters in his name. The fans had come over from all over Australia (Perth, Sydney, Adelaide) to hear and see ROME perform.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
ROME’s discography covers over 20 full-length albums, where he has blended his dark lyricism with post-punk and ‘chanson de geste’ (epic poems) styles to create captivating and honest meaning in his songs and music. This year he has released the albums: ‘Anthology 2016-2025’, ‘The Dublin Sessions II’, ‘Civitas Solis’, ‘Terres De Sang’ and ‘Flowers From Exile’.
ROME performed solo. It was just his spellbinding voice and his skilful guitar playing that supported his deep lyricism and melodies. He delivered a varied set of songs that covered his whole back catalogue. He included an amazing new song ‘Stars And Stripes Of Betrayal’ which he was nervous about playing. The song was so strong and spoke to the crowd as they told him “You got this” as the crowd absorbed it.
ROME’s voice is like liquid chocolate. It is so hypnotic and mellifluous. His lyrical imagery and use of language are terrific – in that his songwriting is beautiful and terrifyingly insightful. His realpolitik view of the world is needed in a time when people doubt what is real and are fearful of changing times. And the way he delivers those messages about the world is done in such beautiful acoustic melodies. His songs shone and all they need to hit home were his voice and a guitar – no more was needed.
Photo Charlyn Cameron
ROME delivered so many astounding songs over his set that just didn’t seem to end, as he played an encore, then another song and then another which his fans adored. He joked about his guitar solos and the crowd loved what they heard. He played the songs: ‘Neue Erinnerung’, ‘Eagle Wings’, the just wonderful ‘In Brightest Black’, ‘One Lion’s Roar’, ‘One Fire’, ‘Who Only Europe Know’, ‘Yellow and Blue’, ‘Uropia O Morte’, ‘On Albion’s Plain’ and so many more. It was a brilliant set performed with such understatement that it just made it all the more powerful.
What was astonishing about the whole night was the fantastic depth of the songwriting on display. The ancient art of the troubadour is alive and well in ROME, King Dude and Midnight Macabre. They brought the wonderful gothic styles of dark folk vernacular lyric poetry to the people in melodies that helped absorb the tales and messages: whether it was European chanson, gothic Americana or country music in style. It was classy and magic!
