Angus Stone, Steve Smyth, Asta @ The Palace Theatre, Melbourne (22/11/2012)
Arriving at the Palace Theatre a bit earlier than expected, the queue for the night’s show stretched till the back of an alleyway. To no surprise, the chatter among the line was mixed about what songs Angus Stone would choose to play and otherwise how he will perform without his sister Julia Stone.
The anxiety to see Angus Stone perform at the Palace easily instilled that sense of atmosphere so-needed at gigs and concerts.
The first to appear on the stage were the Triple-J unearthed, newcomers Asta and her producer/DJ, Carl Young. Gathering their influences off Imogen Heap, Kimbra and Sarah Blasko, Asta’s voice alongside the soft, psychedelic, house played by Young created an illuminating performance mirroring the music of Van She and Empire Of The Sun. Songs such as ‘Mamma Bear’ and ‘I Need Some Answers’ began to draw the crowd further to the stage, clearly illustrating their ability to performance as a team despite their relatively new experience in the music industry.
Followed by a short intermission, the second act Steve Symth can be best described as an angry Bon Iver. Yet this anger infused with Symth’s voice echoed a performance that caused the crowd to cheer in utter disbelief that a man with a husky, inaudible voice could wild them up to such a level. Symth’s stomps alongside the drops of his guitar became the standout points of his performance, quickly building the momentum for Angus Stone.
Angus Stone has released two solo albums, ‘Smoking Gun As The Lady In The Smoke’ and the newly released ‘Broken Brights’. With the anticipation built by the two well-received side acts, the crowd began to cry out for Angus Stone to come out, holding little patience and demanding his music to be played.
With the lights turned off, the shades of five musicians began to walk towards their respective instruments. As the smoke began to disperse, the cheers began to erupt, piercing the roof of the theatre as Angus Stone stood there, with a joint in one hand and the other waving at the crowd.
Thanking the crowd for coming to his show, Angus began his performance by playing the first track of ‘Broken Brights’, ‘River Love’. As he stood at the centre of the stage singing, the crowd began to recede the lyrics to the song creating a partner-to-partner dance between musician and fans, a common but necessary part of any successful concert.
As Angus began to play ‘The End Of The World’, the cheering of the crowd only grew as the lights in the background grew red further emphasizing the meaning behind the song.
When Angus Stone left the stage, the persistence of the audience demanded an encore. In-turn they were rewarded with a five minute grand solo by Angus Stone playing his guitar to the same standard as Jimi Hendrix.
A worthy show of two side-acts and a stellar performance by Angus Stone, the concert clearly showcased Angus Stone’s reputation as a solo musician and his ability to make any atmosphere into his own.
Jason Cheung
Check out our photos from the night here!
The anxiety to see Angus Stone perform at the Palace easily instilled that sense of atmosphere so-needed at gigs and concerts.
The first to appear on the stage were the Triple-J unearthed, newcomers Asta and her producer/DJ, Carl Young. Gathering their influences off Imogen Heap, Kimbra and Sarah Blasko, Asta’s voice alongside the soft, psychedelic, house played by Young created an illuminating performance mirroring the music of Van She and Empire Of The Sun. Songs such as ‘Mamma Bear’ and ‘I Need Some Answers’ began to draw the crowd further to the stage, clearly illustrating their ability to performance as a team despite their relatively new experience in the music industry.
Followed by a short intermission, the second act Steve Symth can be best described as an angry Bon Iver. Yet this anger infused with Symth’s voice echoed a performance that caused the crowd to cheer in utter disbelief that a man with a husky, inaudible voice could wild them up to such a level. Symth’s stomps alongside the drops of his guitar became the standout points of his performance, quickly building the momentum for Angus Stone.
Angus Stone has released two solo albums, ‘Smoking Gun As The Lady In The Smoke’ and the newly released ‘Broken Brights’. With the anticipation built by the two well-received side acts, the crowd began to cry out for Angus Stone to come out, holding little patience and demanding his music to be played.
With the lights turned off, the shades of five musicians began to walk towards their respective instruments. As the smoke began to disperse, the cheers began to erupt, piercing the roof of the theatre as Angus Stone stood there, with a joint in one hand and the other waving at the crowd.
Thanking the crowd for coming to his show, Angus began his performance by playing the first track of ‘Broken Brights’, ‘River Love’. As he stood at the centre of the stage singing, the crowd began to recede the lyrics to the song creating a partner-to-partner dance between musician and fans, a common but necessary part of any successful concert.
As Angus began to play ‘The End Of The World’, the cheering of the crowd only grew as the lights in the background grew red further emphasizing the meaning behind the song.
When Angus Stone left the stage, the persistence of the audience demanded an encore. In-turn they were rewarded with a five minute grand solo by Angus Stone playing his guitar to the same standard as Jimi Hendrix.
A worthy show of two side-acts and a stellar performance by Angus Stone, the concert clearly showcased Angus Stone’s reputation as a solo musician and his ability to make any atmosphere into his own.
Jason Cheung
Check out our photos from the night here!