Tim Brennan

OK, so basically this is a review of a busker. But not just any busker — among the most singularly talented and memorable buskers you’ll likely ever see. Definitely for me, the best busker you’ll find in Brisbane’s CBD. And I can accurately list a fixed address for this guy, because every weekday without fail you’ll find Tim playing his signature bluesy-​folky sound outside what used to be Borders book store.
While he could easily pass the test and get the council’s busking permit (allowing the artist to play in the Queen St, Brunswick St & Chinatown malls), Tim seems happy to keep plugging away outside the old book store. He does OK for himself there; the nearby cafes give him free coffee and when I’ve stopped by to while away time taking in his ad lib virtuosity, I’ve seen white-​collar workers so impressed they’ve dropped $ 50 notes into his guitar case without a second thought. No matter how much or little you give Tim will reward you with a genuine smile or maybe even a «Thank you brother!», depending on the progression of his constantly evolving song.
And how to describe his music? Tim writes his own songs and plays some covers as well. I’ve been lucky enough to catch his spot-​on rendition of Neil Young’s ‘Tell me Why’ on a couple of occasions. Often you’ll find him taking the good old fashioned 12-​bar blues to heady heights, producing a sizable sound for one guy with a guitar and a small amp. Other times he’ll tune the guitar down into some obscure configuration and serenade you with a heartfelt and heart-​warming folk tune. Sometimes you get the impression he wrote it on the spot. As a guitarist myself, I don’t gush easily, but watching Tim’s prodigious and unselfconscious soloing and progressions, I sometimes ask myself why I bother…
But then I hear his soulful voice float over the din of the city crowds, hear him bend the last life out of a worn steel G string (get your mind out of the gutter — it’s the one third from the bottom) and I feel incredibly lucky that Tim Brennan has decided to play his music here in Brisbane, because that means I get the chance to hear him pretty much whenever I like.