Pharrell Williams - 12 March 2014, Brisbane Riverstage

w/ Baauer, Nina Las Vegas

Multi-Grammy winner Pharrell Williams is on fire right now, and it is no surprise that tickets for his Brisbane sideshow were hot property. So much so that it warranted a venue upgrade to the Riverstage.

Opening the night was Nina Las Vegas and I absolutely love what she is selling. She played a good mix of both Australian and international tracks while mashing them together like a pro. The mosh as a whole didn’t really respond to the mix of songs, but it was a pleasantly chilled way to begin the evening.

Next up was Baauer. The “Harlem Shake” artist provided us with a range of diversely mixed tunes that really got the mosh bouncing. He also had cool visual effects one of which that created a real-time silhouetted image of him projected on the screen that stood behind him.

Pharrel slowly strutted out onto the stage, sending the crowd into frenzy; he soaked it all up with a bright smile on his famously smooth face. He stood posed upon the stage just looking out before he started off with a few covers, including “Hollaback Girl” and “Hot in Herre”.

Within the first couple of songs, he not only lost his jacket, but also his shirt - typical! He also insisted that girls from the front come on stage and dance with him. While this was a novelty, it actually looked quite good from where I was standing. Also, what an experience for those girls!

While there were many engaging things going on, there were also some major issues with the performance. For one, I thought he would play a lot more material from his latest release GIRL, however, there was only the duo of song, “Hunter” and Academy Award nominated song “Happy”. All the rest were super back catalogue or covers. This may have been okay had these back catalogue and cover songs not been half songs whipped into a medley performance. I’m talking one verse and one chorus - two choruses max, never the full song.

Also, all of the cuts he played had the backing vocals played too loud by Pharrel's DJ. DJ EQ, meaning that there were double vocals being performed for the entire show. Pre-recorded and live. I think more than 50% of the time he wasn’t singing at all, instead basking in the glory and enjoying the crowd's consistently euphoric reaction.

In saying all of this, he has an impressive level of energy and works the crowd oh-so-well; he also monologued a lot. When it came time to end the set, after surprisingly few songs, he gave a speech about the nature and importance of happiness; quite inspirational, if a little corny. This, of course, preceded “Happy”. It is such a damn good song. So damn good in fact, that he played it twice. Once from the stage, then he moved to the middle of the mosh and, with little more than a handful of security guards, sang it again. A triple encore of one of the most vibrant singles released in recent memory.

There’s no denying that this multi-award winner is one of the hottest artists around at the moment and, despite some minor issues with the set, he put on an amazing show; definitely one to tick off the bucket list.

Elizabeth Rose - 8 March 2014, Alhambra

 

w/ Safia, Fishing

Ever since stumbling into a random venue at BigSound a couple of years ago and witnessing the genius that is Elizabeth Rose, I’ve been following her career closely. Yet, strangely enough, this is the first time I’ve seen her out of BigSound context.

The beginning of the night started off with duo Fishing. I loved what they were trying to do. It had an essence of video game music (the awesome kind) crossed with the sophisticated, densely layered type of electronica. Despite them being a bit rough around the edges, I absolutely loved the set, even with all the 'mistakes'. You know what guys? If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have even noticed. Touche!

Safia were amazing! The lead singers vocals are so interesting. He’s kind a got a whistle tone going on, yet can throw out the rich tones as well; really pleasant to listen to, layered on top of the production. “Mercury” was one of my favourites of the set, but it was the band’s cover of The Aston Shuffle’s “Tear it Down” that really sold me on them. And then you’ve got the gem that is “Listen to Soul, Listen to Blues” (Seriously, how did this song not position higher than number 76 in Hottest 100!) It was so much more amazing and intense live and captured the yearning in the opening section and the introverted dance in the middle. Just amazing.

Elizabeth Rose was on fire, and while there was a lot hell-right with her set, there was also a whole lot wrong with her set. Her vocals were stunning, and the visual performance captivating. She utilised her projected visuals brilliantly, and they mated the songs quite well. It was great to her performing songs from not only her latest self-titled release, but also her debut release Crystallise. She also performed her Triple J ‘Like a Version’ cover “Rhythm of the Night” which went off and got the crowd moving and dancing.

It’s always intriguing to see the difference a venue makes in the delivery and reception of a show. For Elizabeth Rose as an electronica artist, Alhambra was a good venue choice. However, as a viewer of the gig who adores her music, when the venue opens their doors to the wider public before the set has finished, well, use your imagination - it’s a Saturday night.

All in all, it was an amazing set, but I could see her frustration during “The Good Life” and the way in which she got off that stage quickly. Also, I do wish she had played a longer set. I was expecting a full 45-plus minute set from the headline act, but was disappointed that she brought the set to a close after only half an hour.

The Kite String Tangle - 22 February 2014, The Zoo

w/ Kilter, Tincture

On a steamy night in Brisbane, Danny Harley brought his solo project, The Kite String Tangle, back to his hometown. On night 11 of a 12 night consecutive, and completely sold out tour there was no signs of wear and tare, instead a certain refinement.

Opening the night was Brisbane local Tincture. The effects he used on his vocals were so infatuating and suited the production he was producing both live and pre-prepared oh so well. It added colour and something so beautifully lush. He utilised what can only be described as face melting and room shaking bass. It was rad, however when it gets to the second last song and it's at a frequency so unrelenting and that makes you so uncomfortable you almost have to leave, I think you’ve got to rethink some things. That said, he has a real flair for capturing the crowd even for such a young performer.

Next up was Sydney act Kilter. In complete contrast, he didn’t sing, but rather did a lot more remixing with more live production. There was a particular moment where I could wipe a grin off my face. This happened in the song where is used samples of steel drums. Despite the fact that it was a dance track, it had a really authentic island-calypso vibe. What stood out about Kilter was his use of musical segues. It added a level of sophistication to the performance rather than stopping between each song. Overall, an awesome performance.

The last time I saw The Kite String Tangle was in 2012 as an opening support act. I said them that he was one to watch, and I’ve never been happier to be right. After his top 20 placement in the Hottest 100 he has had a rapid rise to fame. And well deserved! Tonight he was on fire. There was no sign of fatigue after 10 consecutive nights on tour, including four sold out shows at Melbourne’s Northcote Social Club.

There is simplicity and effortlessness to the way that Danny Harley performs. Surrounded by a myriad of electronic platforms, he performed his own music as well as covers of songs, including Lorde’s “Tennis Court”. This interesting thing about this particular rendition of the song was that there was seemingly nothing of the real song sampled. Instead, it was all his own work, and his own live vocal. It was really cool.

Something of note was his staging. He had this beautiful set of light globes that surrounded his instruments at different heights, and were programmed to in a nutshell make things look amazing. Combine this with the a live projection of his trademark TKST logo with different colours and themes and it created a Zoo stage that looked like so much more than it normally does. Even with more than on person onstage! It was wondrous! He ended his set with his “Given the Chance” and the crowd went wild. And with good reason. It is such an amazing song with thoughtful production and a catchy hook. And live? So much better.

Despite the fact that The Zoo was a hot, sweaty sauna it was an amazing show with so much in your face bass that it made you sick. In a good way. I said it two years ago that he is one to watch, as he really understands his niche, and I’ll say it again. Keep an eye on this one. He’s only going to keep on going.