Review: Michael Paynter at Lyric’s Underground
Michael Paynter at Lyric’s Underground
w/ Claudia Tripp
Sunday, February 8, 2026
A fascinating feature documentary, 20 Feet From Stardom, was released in 2013, documenting the lives and careers of background vocalists whose (often uncredited) voices feature on iconic songs whose lead singers went on to be—or remain—historically celebrated.
Michael Paynter’s journey is similarly reflective. A gifted multi-instrumentalist and singer, he was signed for a brief period to Sony Music and had a run on the 2013 season of The Voice, but his talents have mainly been harnessed over the years to enhance the performances of others. For the last fifteen years, he has been a member of the touring bands for Icehouse and Jimmy Barnes and indeed performed only the day before with both artists at Sandalford Wines.
That is only a portion of Paynter’s CV, but nowadays he is working to steer the narrative back towards himself as an artist in his own right. Having played the starring role in the recent major touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar, Paynter is utilising the momentum to tour the country, showcasing his voice in intimate shows, playing from the Great Australian Songbook.
Lyric’s Underground was a perfect tour kickoff, a matinee show opened by Claudia Tripp, who has been an emerging presence on the Perth scene over the last few years. Tripp found that nice line between country and pop music and won over the attentive packed room with covers such as The Eagles’ Take It Easy and her original closer, Only Miss You When I’m Drunk, a touching and telling ode to regret. She bid a fond farewell, but it would not be the last the crowd would see of the impressive singer/songwriter.
There really was a hint of ‘opening-night-ness’ about Michael Paynter’s tour-starting show. He took to the stage, greeted by warm applause as he sang We Are Australian to a backing track, and immediately showcased an incredible vocal range, even if a 3pm greeting of “Good evening” to the crowd perhaps betrayed some nerves.
The notion of a Great Australian Songbook would mean different things to different people. To Paynter, its pages were full of tunes that many grew up with on commercial FM radio waves, artists of note he worked with and songs where the writing craft is simply undeniable.
He took to a keyboard and soon commanded attention with a stripped-down version of Working Class Man. It was Barnes-as-ballad, more roll than rock—a new tenderness, but the inner power smouldered underneath. He later paid tribute to Icehouse touring boss, Iva Davies, with a version of Crazy, again with his twig on the arrangement for purposes of acoustic guitar. It’s clear that Paynter had not only played alongside these Australian icons, but he had also learnt a great deal from them.
Turns out he also toured with Bachelor Girl too, as a lively rendition of their 1998 hit, Buses And Trains, attested. His version of Little River Band’s Reminiscing offered more in the way of studied nuance, with some impressive jazz chords and rhythms as his voice sailed up from the basement and into the heavens. Silverchair’s Straight Lines was a cool surprise, as Paynter effortlessly reached those chorus notes that eluded Daniel Johns on their infamous US television appearance on The Jay Leno Show in 2007. It’s hard not to hear those songs and think of their individual histories—they’re not so much being performed as celebrated.
Claudia Tripp returned to the stage to duet with Paynter on two songs. The pair had met in Melbourne in the studio on a songwriting sojourn and clearly enjoyed each other’s musical company. They sang together on Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn and Kasey Chambers’ Not Pretty Enough—and even with little rehearsal, both were harmoniously on point. Later on, Paynter soloed his way through Wolfmother’s Joker & The Thief, learnt that morning in his hotel room—his intuition and confidence were things of wonder.
Sia’s Chandelier and Alex Lloyd’s Amazing had audience members swaying, but there was another presence that permeated the show. Paynter was recently cast in the lead role of the Sydney Theatre Company’s forthcoming production, Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Musical. It’s no small feat for a vocalist and one that Paynter graciously dealt with in terms of daily comparisons re his, er, voice. The range and delivery were all there; he was not merely a tribute. Versions of Angels and Age Of Reason confirmed this. Paynter then closed the show behind the keyboards for an almost spiritual rendition of Cold Chisel’s Flame Trees.
It looks as though Michael Paynter is no longer twenty feet from stardom—he has released an accompanying EP and will continue to tour nationally on a trek that will bring him back to Perth in June, this time to the larger climes of the Astor Theatre, before treading the boards for Whispering Jack. Hopefully, as the spotlight increases, we’ll also hear that voice on his original song releases in the not-too-distant future.
BOB GORDON
Photos by Josh Hauser
