The massive crowd of ten stormed the stage when The Gin Club graced the stage at The Troubadour. Well, so maybe not stormed. Perhaps lounged is better. But to be one of those ten made the whole experience feel pretty personal. Regardless of the turn out, the local lads (and lady) gave a sparkling performance. As always. The limited crowd allowed intimate banter and chatter between the band members and audience. What made this performance so lovely was its intimacy – it felt like we were part of the bands rehearsal as they decided on which song to play. A stripped back version of the band – four members instead of the usual mass of bodies – they delivered their lulling rock in bare layers, with great effect. Their lyrics rolled wonderfully over hypnotic melodies, while voices harmonised beautifully. This band continues to prove its worth with each performance – a mainstay and regular in the Brisbane scene.

They were followed by headline act Mark Steiner. The crowd swelled to eighteen for the Norwegian based, New York born man in black literally, he was dressed in black, and that may be no coincidence, considering his voice was a cross between Nick Cave (a comparison often made) and a modern day Johnny Cash. Although his lyrics or story telling were not as clever. The influence of his vagrant time as a musician in Lower East Side New York can be heard through his ‘Lounge noir’ but unfortunately didn’t deliver as much elegance or sophistication as one may have hoped. You could safely assume not many people have heard of Mark Steiner here in Brisbane due to the small number that turned up to the show, but don’t let that deter you. Steiner doesn’t sound like much else out there, which is always a good thing within an industry overrun with cookie cutters. His lyrics are dark and romantic or about getting drunk, respectable topics for the industry, and his sound was shadowy and noir-ish, probably due to his deep voice. It was effective to a point, then it became a little…dry. But maybe that was the point. The Gin Club joined Steiner on stage for the whole performance, which added a welcomed dimension. His dark love songs received little reception from the crowd, but who can tell from such a small turn out.