By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
IT ALWAYS feels a bit different when a performer returns to their home town to put on a show but Taylor Henderson believes he has hit upon the right approach.
He has chosen to present a more-intimate, stripped back and acoustic set for his Geelong show on 21 April at The Courthouse.
“This is the only show in the whole tour that’s stripped back,” Henderson said.
“I wanted to make it more of a retrospective, back to when it all began, just like sitting together in the lounge room with a guitar and singing a few songs.
“I really want to let people know how the songs were written originally, where it’s just about the voice and a guitar or piano.”
Playing his home town gives Henderson a chance to reconnect with fans that supported him and his dad, Cam, through the music reality television appearances on X Factor and Australia’s Got Talent.
In fact, Cam is dragging out his guitar and joining his son on stage in Geelong, the first time they have performed together in five years.
“We might have to find a forklift to bring him in – he’s getting on a bit, the old fella,” Henderson joked.
“It will be great to bust out a couple of old ones with dad.”
But despite the jocularity, Henderson said he was looking forward to his Geelong gig.
“I can’t wait but I have to because it’s near the end of the tour, and I’ll be off to the UK right afterwards to do some more work with top producers and writers.”
It’s an opportunity Henderson has been working towards for some time, writing a swag of new material in preparation for a new album.
Such is his trust in Geelong audiences that he will expose some new, edgier material as part of his song-writing and story-telling journey since his early success.
“I want to be able to take a risk in my music instead of following the crowd. I guess its bridging between what I’m known for and what I want to become.”
Henderson said he was looking forward to his hometown audience’s feedback.
“It’s a chance to come and hear it first and be a part of the development. I love getting the feedback on songs and still use that in their development.”
Henderson said tickets and tour information was available from his website, taylorhendersonofficial.com.
