The night opened with Eliza Jane and Cecilia; Eliza being the daughter of Jimmy Barnes, and also the wife of Liam Finn. The venue had just opened, so the crowd was small at this stage but the people who made the effort to see the supporting act were dealt a musical treat. With a wonderful use of loops and the culmination of two voices becoming one, these two ladies wooed the minute crowd.
The second band of the night was another two piece ensemble called Big Scary. The crowd had been gradually increasing during the performance of Eliza and Cecilia and the venue was near capacity when Big Scary commenced. The two piece out of Melbourne seemed to revel in the larger crowd and gained momentum as the set went on with their instantly catchy beats that drew the audience in. The band played songs from all their EPs and also tracks from their highly anticipated new album, Vacation, which is due out in October. Overall, Big Scary put on a flawless live performance that everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy.
Then it was time for the highlight of the night: Mr Liam Finn. Coming from such musical stock, it must be difficult for Finn to live up to the standard set by his father and his uncle. However, he seems to do just that and is an extremely talented musician who appears to be able to play every instrument under the sun!
The multi-instrumentalist man from across the Tasman drew the Adelaide crowd into a frenzy of dancing. With breathtaking use of Pedals and a two person drum solo, the band then broke into ‘I’ll Be Lightning’. Liam was joined by a full band and, as always, by his wife, Eliza Jane Barnes. Liam played his way through songs from his two albums, 2007’s I’ll Be Lightning and recent release, FOMO. There is something different about seeing Liam with a full band; it does give him more leeway to show off his accomplished guitar playing, as well as his dance moves.
Liam danced, drummed and played guitar through an hour long set, the highlights including ‘Cold Feet’ from FOMO, and ‘Second Chance’ and ‘Lead Balloon’ from his debut. Liam then closed with ‘Everyone Gather to the Chapel’ as an encore.
It’s easy to see why Liam has been booked on some of the biggest festivals in the world today. There is an awkward charm to Liam; his energy and his general demeanour seems to rub off on the crowd making for a very fun show.
– Patrick Smyth
