The Jezabels, Hey Rosetta! Alpine @ The Enmore Theatre, Sydney (23/10/2011)
Sydney band, the Jezabels have exploded with great success onto the Australian music scene in the last twelves months and built up a loyal fanbase over the last few years. The indie-rock group has been praised for their EP, Dark Storm that recently went Gold and singles Easy To Love and Mace Spray receiving much play on Triple J. A warm Sunday night saw the four-piece outfit playing their second, sold out Sydney show on the Prisoner tour, playing tracks from their long awaited debut album at their biggest venue to date, the Enmore Theatre.
Opening as the first of two supports were forthcoming Melbourne pop collective Alpine. With a similar sound to Chairlift, they provided the perfect music to ease the crowd into the night by playing a short, introductory set of dynamic songs from their EP Zurich and their soon to come debut album. They charmed the audience with memorable dancing from their two female vocalists, studious guitar riffs and synth accompaniment. Alpine kept the crowd’s attention with standout numbers Icy Poles, which received a loud cheer afterwards and rocking opener Heartlove. They are certainly one band to watch out for in the next year.
Six-piece Canadian rock band Hey Rosetta! took to the stage not long after, led by frontman Tim Baker.They played an energised set by the incorporation of piano, cello and violin into each song resulting in a massive, layered wall of sound felt by all. The diverse range of songs played and sincere vocal delivery by Baker left a long lasting mark on the standing crowd who were left wanting more.
Hey Rosetta! dominated with some of their strongest songs like Yer Spring and Welcome. The exuberant playing and great build up of emotion had people cheering and applauding the band when they left the stage. It is no doubt that they will be back again soon, rewarding their appreciative group of fans with a headline tour of their own.
After a short wait, The Jezabels arrived on stage. A black curtain that was across the stage before the set started was drawn to the sides when the lights dimmed. The silhouettes of each band member were projected onto a large thin screen. As pianist Heather Shannon played the sinister chords of Prisoner, the crowd screamed in excitement.
Immediately moving into latest single Endless Summer, the curtain fell revealing striking lead singer Hayley Mary dressed in a black leather suit, parading around with a commanding stage presence that kept all captivated.
One of the early highlights of the night was City Girl from Prisoner. Starting slow with the trademark Jezabels style riff, the verse gradually escalated through use of dynamics with Hayley showing off the power and range of her voice. She impressed and exceeded when singing the call and response melody in the bridge and then suddenly erupting into a huge, soaring chorus.
Mace Spray followed straight after and the audience immediately applauded as they heard the distinctive opening guitar lick played by guitarist, Samuel Lockwood. A Little Piece, one of the band’s more chilled out tunes was one of the night’s best songs, if not the song of the night. Failing to disappoint anywhere who heard it, it was the best example of how fulfilled and powerful Hayley Mary’s voice is live and how well it translates to a life setting even if its in a larger venue than usual. Following with more tracks from Prisoner, the band concluded their main set with Hurt Me from the She’s So Hard EP and then Dark Storm, with the enthusiastic, legions of fans clapping and singing along.
The Jezabels returned for a two song encore after a short break. Playing the closing track, She’s So Hard from the Dark Storm EP, the band left the crowd wanting even more. Just before the band were to leave, a punter screamed out “Disco Biscuit Love” and the crowd kept applauding for more. Guitarist Samuel Lockwood looked at each of his band mates, pressuring them into filling the crowd’s request .
Drummer Nik Kaloper and Heather Shannon launched straight into the song and provided the biggest sing-a-long of the night. Members of the crowd jumped up and down, dancing and singing their hearts out for what could be the band’s greatest hit. Each member left as they finished their part and the crowd cheered before leaving what was an emotionally powerful set.
The Jezabels played an astonishing set that shined throughout. Theyhave established themselves as one of Australia’s standout indie-rock acts at the present day and left the Sydney crowd more than satisfied. With three unique EPs and an acclaimed album under their belt, the future looks very bright and rewarding for a band that are on the start of what could be a legendary career in Australia’s contemporary music scene.
James Quick
Setlist:
Prisoner
Endless Summer
Easy To Love
City Girl
Mace Spray
A Little Piece
Trycolour
Sahara Mahala
Long Highway
Hurt Me
Dark Storm
-
She’s So Hard
Disco Biscuit Love
Opening as the first of two supports were forthcoming Melbourne pop collective Alpine. With a similar sound to Chairlift, they provided the perfect music to ease the crowd into the night by playing a short, introductory set of dynamic songs from their EP Zurich and their soon to come debut album. They charmed the audience with memorable dancing from their two female vocalists, studious guitar riffs and synth accompaniment. Alpine kept the crowd’s attention with standout numbers Icy Poles, which received a loud cheer afterwards and rocking opener Heartlove. They are certainly one band to watch out for in the next year.
Six-piece Canadian rock band Hey Rosetta! took to the stage not long after, led by frontman Tim Baker.They played an energised set by the incorporation of piano, cello and violin into each song resulting in a massive, layered wall of sound felt by all. The diverse range of songs played and sincere vocal delivery by Baker left a long lasting mark on the standing crowd who were left wanting more.
Hey Rosetta! dominated with some of their strongest songs like Yer Spring and Welcome. The exuberant playing and great build up of emotion had people cheering and applauding the band when they left the stage. It is no doubt that they will be back again soon, rewarding their appreciative group of fans with a headline tour of their own.
After a short wait, The Jezabels arrived on stage. A black curtain that was across the stage before the set started was drawn to the sides when the lights dimmed. The silhouettes of each band member were projected onto a large thin screen. As pianist Heather Shannon played the sinister chords of Prisoner, the crowd screamed in excitement.
Immediately moving into latest single Endless Summer, the curtain fell revealing striking lead singer Hayley Mary dressed in a black leather suit, parading around with a commanding stage presence that kept all captivated.
One of the early highlights of the night was City Girl from Prisoner. Starting slow with the trademark Jezabels style riff, the verse gradually escalated through use of dynamics with Hayley showing off the power and range of her voice. She impressed and exceeded when singing the call and response melody in the bridge and then suddenly erupting into a huge, soaring chorus.
Mace Spray followed straight after and the audience immediately applauded as they heard the distinctive opening guitar lick played by guitarist, Samuel Lockwood. A Little Piece, one of the band’s more chilled out tunes was one of the night’s best songs, if not the song of the night. Failing to disappoint anywhere who heard it, it was the best example of how fulfilled and powerful Hayley Mary’s voice is live and how well it translates to a life setting even if its in a larger venue than usual. Following with more tracks from Prisoner, the band concluded their main set with Hurt Me from the She’s So Hard EP and then Dark Storm, with the enthusiastic, legions of fans clapping and singing along.
The Jezabels returned for a two song encore after a short break. Playing the closing track, She’s So Hard from the Dark Storm EP, the band left the crowd wanting even more. Just before the band were to leave, a punter screamed out “Disco Biscuit Love” and the crowd kept applauding for more. Guitarist Samuel Lockwood looked at each of his band mates, pressuring them into filling the crowd’s request .
Drummer Nik Kaloper and Heather Shannon launched straight into the song and provided the biggest sing-a-long of the night. Members of the crowd jumped up and down, dancing and singing their hearts out for what could be the band’s greatest hit. Each member left as they finished their part and the crowd cheered before leaving what was an emotionally powerful set.
The Jezabels played an astonishing set that shined throughout. Theyhave established themselves as one of Australia’s standout indie-rock acts at the present day and left the Sydney crowd more than satisfied. With three unique EPs and an acclaimed album under their belt, the future looks very bright and rewarding for a band that are on the start of what could be a legendary career in Australia’s contemporary music scene.
James Quick
Setlist:
Prisoner
Endless Summer
Easy To Love
City Girl
Mace Spray
A Little Piece
Trycolour
Sahara Mahala
Long Highway
Hurt Me
Dark Storm
-
She’s So Hard
Disco Biscuit Love