Kristy London has been doing the Brisbane and east coast touring circuit for a while now, so it was no surprise that a healthy crowd gathered at the Troubadour to see her launch her debut EP, with some accomplished help from James O’Brien and Hip Pocket.

James O’Brien doesn’t play solo very often, so it’s a rare treat to see him open proceedings. O’Brien brings the gentle pop of his main role as part of The Boat People to a more intimate level at the loungey Troubadour, and is a clearly experienced performer. He performs some of his own songs, some Boat People songs (including a stunning version of Clean), but it’s the covers which stand out. Some artists might be intimidated covering Death Cab For Cutie, but O’Brien attacks Soul Meets Body with gusto, and it works, as does a cover of Beck ’s The Golden Age. With a new Boat People album just around the corner, fans can expect to see a lot more of O’Brien in the coming months, and that’s definitely worth celebrating.

Brisbane three-piece Hip Pocket are also veterans, having been kicking around the Brisbane scene for as long as anyone can remember. All the members of this funk-reggae trio are excellent, especially guitarist/co-vocalist David Orr, whose brilliant guitar work creates a base for all of their songs. Fun and On A Wire are standout tracks, while Ambience is slower, without ever being drawling. They finish with Josephine, which is probably their most straight up rock number, and even though overall they don’t have as much stage presence as they should, the swelling crowd gives them a cheery send-off.

The night belongs to Kristy London and the Other Halves, as they launch their debut EP Love Will Remain. London looks the full rock-chick part, and she opens with the punchy Obvious and the gentler Gorgeous, both from the EP. Beautiful Surprise starts softly, but evolves into an intense rocker, and a cover of Portishead ’s Glory Box is a nice touch, although it’s a little early in the set to be throwing out the covers. The Boat Song is up next, with London breaking out the accoustic, but the bass is too high in the mix, and the accoustic gets trampled.

London is a good songwriter, and a great performer, enthusing with the crowd, but crosses the line when she (and her friends in the crowd) demand that the audience, previously sitting, rise to their feet. We reluctantly do so, expecting a dance-rock number that doesn’t arrive. Luckily, the next number delivers on the tempo required for dancing, and the band then close with EP finisher Already There. For some reason, the band asks the crowd to raise their mobile phones in the air, surely one of the more dire trends in rock audienceship, and few people oblige. After a short break (about 15 seconds), the band return to thrash out a rocky version of title track Love Will Remain. They rock out the track even more so than it’s recorded version, and it’s a great way to finish a fine night of Brisbane rock – London is an artist definitely worth watching.