Last night the final Russian Standard Vodka Live at the Chapel event for 2011 took place in Newtown, with the first ever double act for long running series. Two of Australia’s finest live acts, PNAU and Eskimo Joe, shared the altar (so to speak) for a very entertaining evening of live music, in the acoustic brilliance of the St Stephen’s Anglican Church.
After we enjoyed a few too many cocktails and a couple of ridiculously tasty sliders, we made our way into the venue to enjoy the sounds of Kav Temperley and Eskimo Joe. The set had a brief technical fault which forced the band to replay a song that didn’t quite go to plan after they’d left the stage (though with their fans chanting for more, I don’t think anyone minded), but otherwise it went off without a hitch. They opened up proceedings with “Echo” from their latest record Ghosts of the Past, before blasting out crowd favourite “Black Fingernails, Red Wine”.
What has always made Eskimo Joe so enjoyable live is the gravitas they employ on stage (with some always enjoyable banter) and the skill and precision they pour into their music. It always makes for a special show, and with such a quality, this suited the venue perfectly. “From The Sea” and “Love Is A Drug” were among the other tracks played in the brief set.
An interval followed, allowing for a few more cocktails and snacks, and then it was time for Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes from PNAU to take over the church. This was an experience like I’d never had before in a church. Fueled by the aforementioned cocktails and the epic enjoyment that PNAU puts out for everyone, the band got me dancing in such a way that I’m sure whoever is upstairs would have been frowning upon…
Though they played a few tracks off of Soft Universe, their latest record, there was a surprising amount of love and attention paid to their biggest hits such as “Embrace” and “Wild Strawberries” – not to mention “The Truth”, “Solid Ground” and “Unite Us”. All in all, this was perhaps the most energetic performance Live at the Chapel has ever seen. It certainly evoked the most amount of dancing… well, from me anyway.
To check out all the video highlights from the night, head to: http://www.facebook.com/liveatthechapel or
http://facebook.com/russianstandardaustralia
Photos by Jakob Dezwart
