It was a crowd made up of all types that flocked to Billboard for English trio Kitty, Daisy & Lewis. There were those young and old, the KD&L veterans, as well as the first timers.
There were the passionate types too, who all but berated anyone who was to walk past and look as if they were cutting the line
The sleek surroundings of Billboard gave the night a relaxed vibe. No matter where you were standing in the room, you were treated to fantastic views of the stage and clear audio – something often hard to find in most venues.
Kicking off the night was support act Mojo Juju and her band. Opening their set with a slow starter and the aid of sultry twin singers Haley and Laura of Twincest, the group then moved on to show off their jazz prowess.
Armed with rumbling bass lines and solid grooves, Mojo Juju easily had the whole crowd swaying and tapping along to the rhythm. Not one to shy away on stage, Mojo constantly bantered with the audience, showing a stage presence far beyond that of any ordinary support act.
Joined by parents, Graeme Durham and Ingrid Weiss on back up instruments, siblings Kitty, Daisy & Lewis took to the stage – much to the delight of a cheering crowd which had quickly filled out in the 20 minutes prior.
Showing their superior skill as musicians, Kitty, Daisy and Lewis easily transitioned between instruments and vocalist roles. For each and every song, there was a new part undertaken by each member. Yet, not once did this detract from the performance, as each change-over appeared seamless.
Their set seemed to surpass multiple genres, there was literally something to satisfy each member of the varied audience. ‘Polly Put The Kettle On’ featured harmonica solos, whilst ‘Don’t Make A Fool Out Of Me’ included an unexpected but effective beatbox breakdown.
Although somewhat mismatched, the band pulled together a polished and enjoyable set, powering through risky moves and inclusions that would have seen a lesser band fall down. That however, was not the case for Kitty, Daisy & Lewis.
Clad in a sparkly sequined playsuit, Daisy seemed to always catch the light, and the eye for that matter – but when it wasn’t her choice of attire doing the trick, it was her ability to inject passion into whatever role on stage she found herself in.
Whenever she hit the keyboard, took her place by the microphone. or was bouncing over the drums, her energy was absolutely intoxicating.
The amount of crowd interaction was one of the highlights of the set. Tracks would often be prefaced with some sort of anecdote and during the periods in between there’d be humorous banter.
Introducing a new track from the group, Lewis told an excited throng “this one is about a special lady to me. She’s actually here tonight.”
Most interaction of the night was between Lewis and the masses, deflecting attention from Daisy and Kitty and giving the image of the band having a frontman – when that may not necessarily be the case.
Earning arguably the biggest applause of the night was a rapturous cover of ‘Going Up The Country’. Alternating lead vocalists every line, Kitty and Daisy showcased their phenomenal voices and flawless timing in a way that was a fun experience to listen to and watch.
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are incredibly talented musicians, making for a live show that is just shy of amazing. However, sometimes they can get too caught up in that fact that they are good at their craft, and deliver extended instrumentals that go for far too long and begin to lose their purpose.
What occurred between those periods however, was a visual and aural experience, which was well worth the time, effort, and money.
