Photo: Justin Ma

The Zoo - Sun Feb 22

Worn out after a gig-heavy weekend, tonight is the first time I have to stand in the line to The Zoo – a deadset indication of the featured acts’ popularity. It’s also the support’s farewell gig of sorts; by the time this review goes to print, An Horse will already be in North America where they are going to embark on an extensive tour of the US and Canada. Mates with the diminutive headliner, Kate Cooper and drummer Damon Cox go through their melodic, minimal indie-pop, radiating twee charm throughout. With the duo’s stripped-down sound at times recalling Beat Happening, Horizons, Little Lungs, the Mercedes ad song (Postcards) and Camp Out are all expertly performed and lapped up by the appreciative, if somewhat impatient crowd.

Recently voted one of the greatest guitar players in the world, Kaki King most probably hates the hype-saturated tag. It’s certainly a big call after Jeff Beck’s mind-blowing recent Brisbane show, but whether the lady herself knows it or not, she opts to let her music and unquestionably killer guitar skills do all the talking instead (yet she still treats us to some funny, ribald banter). Opening with a moody, lap steel-led etude, the 5-foot 1-inch extraordinaire has the venue in thrall once she straps on her trademark Ovation acoustic and proceeds to demonstrate her astounding double-tapping and slapping techniques. WOW. That’s not to say her accompanying musicians aren’t much chop; the drummer and the DigiSax player (plenty of atmospheric eeriness) are both outstanding on their tools of trade. Primarily known for her six-string virtuosity, Kaki’s vocals are a revelation tonight, the fraught-yet-confident undertone giving her voice an additional quality. Following a sequence of rhythmic, baritone guitar-employing numbers, Triple J moment Pull Me Out Alive is given a sublime solo reading on a standard electric guitar. More technique? Voila – we get signature compositions Doing The Wrong Thing and Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers. Non-wanky legatos, you can? Damn exhaustion – I wish I could have stayed for the encore.

DENIS SEMCHENKO

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