The Zoo - Sunday Jan 14

The night air is mercifully cool, but the Zoo is always humid. Sweat shows on the faces of Gentle Ben & His Sensitive Side as the singer croons to the half empty room. Corbett glides across the stage with an easy charisma while displaying his impressive vocal flexibility. Screams and squarks and growls turn to whispers and sweetly sung falsetto in a split second.

The Twilight Singers' roadie distributes white towels and water across the stage, being sure the break the annoying safety seals on the latter. The Zoo is comfortably full for the final show of the Twilight Singers' Australian Tour, and Greg Dulli declares he's going to make it count. The five-piece play their dark and gritty pop rock with an avid professionalism I've not witnessed since Radiohead played Sydney Entertainment Centre. Dulli manages somehow to smoke, sing and play guitar without ever missing a beat or a puff. Wild-man on the skins Bobby MacIntyre plays drums like his life depends on it, while finishing his cigarette hands-free. Take that anti-smoking laws.

Mark Lanegan makes his way onto the stage to do a brace of songs including Live With Me, which is stretched out to over five minutes. Lanegan's trademark growl is juxtaposed against his passive posture: standing straight, clutching the microphone stand with both hands.

It's been an hour and a half when the band close with the intense Candy Cane Crawl. Dulli pulls a girl up onto the stage to kneel and sing for her. There's a long interval and a lot of begging applause before the Twilight Singers finally return for an encore. Four songs – including three with Lanegan – later and I'm certain Dulli and company could play longer than I could stand. As I descend the stairs I'm exhausted and satisfied and happy to be returning to the cool night air.

JAKEB SMITH

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