It was at the Workers Club a year ago I first witnessed Kirin J Callinan’s solo act; eccentric, theatrical and completely erratic, not much had changed this time around as he kept a growing audience on their toes with his wirery tales.

Mr Callinan’s performance is one that is confronting; the right amount of weird to separate the enthralled from the utterly confused. When he’s not galloping up and down on the spot, he’s kneeling to punch at a collection of pedals spread around his feet, creating loops of different noise made by his lone guitar. Though, these moments of high energy contract greatly with his slow, romantic stories such as "Apologies Accepted", nothing but a few lone chords strummed out. 

There is a tongue-in-cheek appeal to Callinan’s stage show; his delivery almost comical and wearing a lacy women’s top, a smart arse-ary is clearly noticeable of him, all the while joking and conversing with his audience in a casual down-to-earth manner, oozing a chivalry that is lacking in Australian music today. 

He closed his far-too-short set with older number "Mines, Tonight", the lamenting tale given an even more sombre tone through Callinan’s deep vocals. He whispers and then calls out, filling the room with his rich vocals.

Kirin is one of the most interesting performers of today; watching him loudly grab complete command of the small Fitzroy stage, before demurely crawl into one of his tales of heartbreak is nothing less than captivating.