Like PJ Harvey (in a poor Australian cousin kind of a way), Katy Steele performed intimate and solo at The Zoo in Brisbane. She portrayed the perfect rock and roll girly persona and her voice was delightful but it was a pity the crowd talked through her performance. This lack of attention did not sway her tunes or her mood and at the end of the set, Steele said “Why are you all like this? Your not drunk enough, you need to drink some more that’s all.”
With 80’s hair dos and neither here nor there enthusiasm *Sugar Arm*y provided the perfect support for Little Birdy. The pre-recorded backing to Maybe The Boy Who Cried Wolf caused mayhem with the audio, creating feedback, and, while bland at times, the boys provided a crowd pleaser with a cover of Brittany Spear’s Toxic. Clad in his signature white bonds t-shirt drummer James Sher kept the group in time with his impressive drum kit which even included a cow bell. Sher and guitarist Todd Honey were in a world of their own, they were bouncing their music off of one another and playing together as a team, but this caused Honey to constantly hold his back to the audience. Their last song Now You’re Old Enough was an absolutely fantastic end to their set. Placing himself amongst the crowd to meet and greet, vocalist Pat McLaughlin was polite and obliging. It was their largest tour and, for their first time in Brisbane, Sugar Army were well received by the Zoo’s punters.
Headlining act Little Birdy was more than an act, it was a performance of pure pleasure. Their sound had a unique magical quality to it whilst being clear and refined. Visually, the main focus was on lead singer Katy Steele’s mop of blonde hair and her sparkly suit; her presence unified the package of Little Birdy. The true stars were the boys – guitarist Simon Leach, bassist Scott ‘Barney’ O’Donoghue and drummer Matt Chequer – whom provided the beautiful and vital aural genius to the act. Crowded House cover Six Months on a Leaky Boat and Beautiful to Me were the winning songs of the night. Renowned producer John King and engineer Clif Norrel‘s expertise and experience emanate the obvious shift of style compared to previous albums and this was displayed through the song Come On, Come On. One was left with a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the night.
