Trams suck. Really, they do. The tram heading toward this gig tonight seemed to be slowly moved up The Esplanade like a moose with constipation. Eventually it dawdled to The Palais in the plodding fashion that trams do.
The Heart of St Kilda has become a special event, and when it comes around each year, local Melbourne Southerners break out of their apartments and enjoy an array of music as diverse as the community that inhabits the suburb. Brian Nankervis lets off a bit of short (and bad) humour about Bert Newton, and then we go straight into the music, with Even playing their brand bouncy bluesy music – how’s that for alliteration?
Comedians puncture the show with some wit and cute humour here and there, but considering this is a music review, we’ll stick to the acts. Lisa Miller had this weird twang to her voice which stuck on the brain, while Rebecca Barnard made the audience part of her act with a random amount of people rising up from their seats and joining her as a ‘spontaneous’ choir, which in actual fact they were not. The name has been erased from this brain of mine, so many apologies to those participants. Kate Ceberano cooed along in her trio of songs as well, and probably could be seen as the most underwhelming act of the night, however it could have been a case of being sandwiched in more upbeat outfits.
Henry Wagons bounced about with the energy of a madman who took too many sugary drinks. It was amazingly energizing and both him and the house band are an amazing fit for each other. They should become band-married. Wishful filled the annual ‘up and coming slot’ with wonderful grace, playing some nice relaxed tunes that were easy on the ear.
The highlight of the night would probably have to be a tie between Sasquatch and Russell Morris, two disparate performances in terms of musical grandeur, but both of equal quality. Morris, who performed as a last minute fill-in for Graveyard Train who were not able make it. His solo performance that could be argued as one of the most vocally passionate performances heard in such a big space as the Palais. ‘The Real Thing’.
Sasquatch on the other hand had this really amped up groove within their three songs on the night. Performing some insane funky rhythms, bouncy melodies and displaying an onstage enthusiasm that obviously caught the eye of music industry-ites everywhere. Which is probably why they’re heading off to the UK, and well deserved of them to do so.
Nankervis finished off the night with many ‘thank yous’ to the crew and wonderful warm words to us in the equally toasty Palais Theatre. Once that three-degree chill hit us as we were walking out into the St Kilda night, you just wanted to go back into the theatre and look for a possible couch hidden somewhere that can double as a bed. Entertainment surely can not only warm the skin, but the heart as well.
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