|
 The Tivoli - Fri Oct 5
The Tivoli is virtually full when openers The Orange Bird stroll out onto stage. The band is plagued by absolutely dismal sound, every kick of the bass drum accompanied by a horrible, sludge-ridden crackle. Unfortunately this takes away from their performance in a big way, Free To Burn being the only song that really comes across as likeable. Complete with a front man in a leather kilt and a gyrating pianist in a sparkling, disco ball dress, it translates more like a David Lynch film on bad stereo than a set of dub/folk music. Sadly, you can tell from the audience’s almost courteous applause that this set is merely a formality before tonight’s much-anticipated headliners.
The Tivoli is a pretty hard place to fill, but brother and sister folkies Angus and Julia Stone seem to have done just that – a testament to their meteoric rise in popularity both here and in the UK. Looking around, it’s hard not to think the majority of people here are the types who would have picked on tonight’s headliners at school, but let’s cast that generalisation aside. The pair enter to a massive welcome, backed by a small string ensemble and a touring band consisting ex-Beautiful Girls member Mitchell Connelly. They open with the Triple J-flogged track Wasted, Julia’s melancholic, fragile voice whispering quietly; yet still breaking sky high above every other sound in the room. Her voice could be compared to that of Joanna Newsom, but the bare truth is Julia Stone’s is much stronger, and her songwriting much more accessible (not to mention a whole lot easier to listen to).  Photo: Aaron Sammut Tonight’s show highlights Angus and Julia Stone’s exceptional songwriting capability, the beauty of their craft lying in the ability to take traditional folk sounds and bend them with their own characteristics. The songs seem to live and breathe from within each unique personality of the pair, truly making the genre their own. They seem to care deeply about each and every word they sing, and not once does the performance lag. It’s not only entertaining, but more refreshing to see an Australian band own the stage and the audience, like this pair did tonight. KURT SANDERS
1. Written by Michael Lawrence, on 04-11-2007 12:08
This article is spot on in depicting the amazing talents of Angus and Julia Stone. I saw the same gig in Melbourne, fortunaltey for us Orange Birds sonund quality was fine, however the Corner Hotel in Richmond was significantly less packed during their performance than during the headliners. Julia's voice during the opening song 'wasted' captured the ears of everyone. It was almost as if everyone was holding their breath so as not to interupt the melancholic sound resonating throughout the room.Angus, although seemingly shy, was just as captivating and talented in his performances. All the people who I talked to after the concert agreed that it was one of the most intimate concerts they had ever been to. Congrats to Angus and Julia Stone for an unbelievable performance here in melbourne. |
2. Written by Elaine Brisbane, on 04-01-2008 19:28
I couldn't agree more with you Kurt. To be brutally honest, I couldn't wait for Orange Bird to leave the stage. It would have been much nicer to have had a support band with a similar genre to the band you go to watch. I loved Julia's energy and her cute dancing at the keyboard etc. Julia's interaction with the audience was not only interesting but funny too. I also loved they way they included other family members into their gig. I can't wait to see them again. What a treasure they both are. |
|
| Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged. |
|
Comments (2)
