Trials
City Recital Hall, Sydney, NSW
Wednesday, May 13th
For the launch of his debut solo album hendle, multi-disciplinary Ngarrindjeri artist trials (aka Daniel Rankine) has put his full abilities on display at the ground floor bar of the City Recital Hall in Sydney. Images of his accomplished acrylic paintings appear on screens, and headsets play audio of the rapper, songwriter, and record producer narrating passages from a forthcoming autobiography.
“This is a big night of being self-involved,” trials jokes from a small, intimate stage before revealing this is the first time he’s performed all on his own, an MPC sampler and bass guitar his only company. “It’s been a long journey… I never thought I’d get here.”
@thomcrawford
It turns out that ‘trials’ is an apt stage name for the Adelaide-born performer. The subject matter of his songs detail the life-long damage caused from suffering through the effects of domestic violence, as well as a plethora of other arduous hardships that have been faced, including brutal racism and bullying. Although his undeniable talent proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that trials has earned his place on stage, the victory has clearly been hard won.
@thomcrawford
With a stellar track record of working on multiple platinum albums, being one-half of celebrated rap duo A.B. Original and collaborating with artists such as Gurrumul, Archie Roach, Hilltop Hoods, Paul Kelly, and Thelma Plum, it’s confounding and uncomfortable to hear trials now put himself through the wringer internally, with tracks like “you could never hate me (like i do)” revealing how tough he is on himself. It’s an odd feeling to want to step on stage to hug the artist and tell them to be a little kinder to themself, but the compulsion is there.
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Regardless of the heaviness of the lyrics — the harrowing, acoustic guitar-led “run to the river” is a highlight — trials makes sure the self-produced music is largely upbeat and built for nodding heads, his frantic bass-playing and fiery emceeing on “be an adult (have a breakdown)” in particular raising the energy in the room considerably.
It’s easy to imagine how the gig would be much better suited to a small, sweaty club, but trials capably brings it to life through sheer rawness and relatability, his banter tonight revealing additional meaning to a set of extremely personal songs.
@thomcrawford
Arguably the most personal is saved for last with “what’s the colour of love?”, a searing attack on men who are violent towards women and children, with trials instructing the men in the audience to hold accountable any other men who engage in such abhorrent behaviour.
By the song’s end, trials has laid himself absolutely bare, shedding tears as the crowd applauds his brief but powerful set. As the love gets externally projected toward the stage, you can only hope that trials — an obviously gifted artist with important things to say — deservedly directs every last bit of it inwards.
Read more about trials’ new album here.
