Georgia Potter, The Kelly Kang& The Melatonins @ TheTroubadour, Brisbane(25/01/09)

Tue 3rd Feb, 2009 in Gig Reviews

It’s 8:30pm on the eve of Invasion day and the Troubadour is packed with punters eager for beer, music and looking to escape the oppressive humidity in the street below. Prince is on the player and it’s not long before the Melatonins bring their own brand of smooth to the stage.

Three of the boys who brought you the original Kafka lineup (*Lachlan Mitchell* , Tom Hinchcliffe, Michael Meddlycot) form the Melatonins, possibly Brisbane’s only barbershop style group under the age of 60. Casually perched on a bar stool and strumming acoustic guitar, Lachlan leads the group through a handful of succinct, breezy tunes with a shanty vibe perfectly suited to this time of year. The audience sits before them and claps in appreciation at their gorgeous vocal harmonies littered with finger snaps and falsetto scat.

Georgia Potter is releasing her mini album, Living The Grey and it seems she’s drawn a diverse and fervent crowd. She begins with a piano and vocal number to thank the Melatonins before inviting the full assembly onstage, and over the course of an hour she showcases the breadth of her talent. Album namesake Living The Grey is preceded by an eloquent preface about the significance of launching an in-part political work on the eve of a Public Holiday that contentiously celebrates the landing of white people to our country.

Just as I think I’ve pigeonholed Georgia squarely into Ani DiFranco and Missy Higgins femme folk territory, an Erykah Badu-style number signals a change of direction for the set, from introspective to funky-as-shit jams with great vocals and harmonies throughout. Later, tinges of percussion-fuelled jams creep in that I imagine would have delighted punters at her Woodford performances. The set ends on an upbeat dub reggae track and this versatile lass and her band have clearly won over a bunch of new fans at tonights capacity gig.

Of course with such a packed room, airconditioned bliss was never going to last long. Those who attended just for Georgia’s launch have presumably gone home or out in search of cooler climes while The Kelly Gang’s crankin’ opener Got Me By The Hand snaps the considerably diminished crowd out of heat lethargy and back onto the dancefloor. This band boasts the sassy vocalist and MC Kel Timmons, drum dynamo Myka Wallace, Anthony Tilla on guitar, Kate Thomas on vibes and backing vocals. Tom Hinchcliffe is subbing tonight for regular bassist Shannon Green, whose reggae project Kingfisha is getting busy in Melbourne town. Yuinhuzame guest MCs on killer track It Takes 2, a set highlight that should bust its way onto JJJ rotation soon enough.

All in all, a sweaty summer night of Australian originality.