Gifted a beautiful old National Resonator guitar by his mother for his fiftieth birthday led Dave Lawrence – a veteran journeyman alongside Abi Tucker, The Waifs’ Donna Simpson, Steve Gibson of the Kill Devil Hills and more – to explore the rich musical history of the instrument, dating far before rock n’ roll, to the time of big band jazz and Gershwin tin pan alley showtunes.

Lawrence’s narrative could be a little more cogent rather than haphazardly conversational, but he knows his stuff (notes about the evolution of guitar playing from jazz and big band through early blues and country are especially interesting) and mostly lets the star of the show – that beautiful and mellifluous guitar – do most of the talking.

There are classics such as Foggy Day In London, Lullaby of Birdland, Makin’ Whoopee, When The Saints Come Marching Home, a wonderful I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Goin’ To Brownsville, Love In Vain, Ragged & Dirty, Ain’t Necessarily So, You Are My Sunshine, Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive and more.

It’s exuberant, life-affirming and – YES! – resonating stuff, and a wonderful way to kick off the opening night of Perth’s 2025 Fringe World Festival. Given proceedings started a little late due to a tech hiccup, time ran well over schedule, and Lawrence stayed on to play well into the night.

He’s also doing another show during the festival – about a banjo playing robot, of course. “You can’t fight technology,” he admits – though they don’t make ‘em as independent of tech reliance as a 1940s National Resonator Guitar any more, that’s for sure.