Those who remember George will know that when Katie Noonan performs on stage, you can almost guarantee that it will be a night to remember. With a voice that has been described as being able to make ‘grown men weep’, it’s hardly a surprise that on this summery night (in August!) The Metro is packed out for her solo album launch.
Supported by the ever entertaining Mr. Percival, the night began well. Mr. Percival relies solely on vocals, and creates a live sound that is fascinating to watch. The crowd was somewhat bemused until it was made clear that he was creating and looping his backing vocals on stage, rather than playing pre recorded material which surely would have kept the sound guy busy. Making it obvious that he wasnt taking himself too seriously, he had the crowd on side. I have honestly never seen a support act capture the audience’s attention so well.
The reaction to Katie Noonan walking onto the stage was spectacular. Joined by a full band – guitar, drums, bass, keyboard and flute – Noonan launched into Time To Begin and we were given a glimpse of the musical direction that Noonan has taken this time. The lyrics and even the tone are slightly more upbeat than the beautiful melancholy that was loved with george. Not to say that the new direction is a disappointment – her voice is as enchanting as ever, and you can’t help but smile during some of the songs, but if you were hoping for the same sound you might not love it straight away.
Noonan has a stage presence which is somewhat unique. While she attracts attention, it’s not because she’s playing up to the usual performer/audience stereotypes. She’s as comfortable in front of the microphone as she is on the keyboard, or dancing along to an instrumental piece towards the back of the stage. You almost feel as though you’ve been invited to watch the band practice, and they didn’t quite realise you were watching.
When she announced we’d only be hearing a couple of the old george songs at the start of the night, you could sense the disappointment from the crowd, but as soon as she started singing Special Ones, all was forgiven. A cover of Crazy by Gnarls Barkley made it into the set – one could never have guessed that the song could sound so beautiful. She also added her voice to the much covered Hallelujah, making it her own.
Continually thanking the crowd (“Without you it would be shit – trust me, I was here at soundcheck”) she wrapped up the set and left the stage before returning for a much expected encore. Sitting alone at the keyboard she played Breathe In Now and the audience joined to finish the song. She ended the night with her husband joining the band to play saxophone for the upbeat One Step before offering her thanks again and demurely leaving the stage.
Katie Noonan is on tour throughout Australia in September and October promoting the release of her new solo album Skin. Make sure you get along to one of her shows – you wont be disappointed.
