The Audreys @ The NorthcoteSocial Club, Melbourne(22/08/09)

Tue 1st Sep, 2009 in Gig Reviews

The Audreys’ rise to fame has been nothing short of meteoric. Their two albums, Between Last Night and Us (2006) and When the Flood Comes (2008) have garnered them rave reviews and a twin set of ARIAs for Best Blues and Roots Album. It was no surprise, therefore, that their recent shows at the Northcote Social Club were both sold-out and very close to sold-out.

Staged in two very civilized sets, the shows were celebrating the release of both albums on vinyl, a fact that the band were jumping out of their skins with excitement about. Lead singer Taasha Coates confessed that she hadn’t listened to the albums, as listening to one’s own work was “just weird”, but she had “fondled them”, which was no less weird according to her band mates!

At the Saturday night gig I attended, the audience was spellbound from the outset, as the “four lads and a lass” from Adelaide walked calmly onto the stage wearing their trademark stylish duds and began to work their magic. Although Taasha’s attempts at humour fell flat (“I’m doing a survey, ladies, who would you rather shag? Tristan or Mikey?), she was unperturbed by the “delightfully quiet” crowd, which was apparently a stark contrast to the previous evening’s gig on home turf. I’d never seen The Audreys play live before, and I was struck by Taasha’s commanding stage presence, not to mention her refined Adelaide accent! She is extremely at ease in her role as lead singer and deftly alters her tone, be it angry, sad, seductive or ironic, in accordance with the heart of each song.

The two sets incorporated pretty much all of the songs from the two albums, plus a smattering of new material. The diversity of the songs in terms of musical genre – blues, roots, country, and rock – showcased the many places they’ve traversed in the musical landscape in such a relatively short career. Highlights included the naughty Lay Me Down (recently featured on the My Year Without Sex soundtrack), Sally & the Preacher and Songbird, which was apparently written for Nick Cave, although whether or not he’s actually aware of that fact has yet to become known!

Having the sultry sounds of The Audreys warm me up on a chilly Melbourne night was definitely an experience I hope to repeat. Furthermore, I applaud them for leading a return to vinyl. Let’s hope all the cool kids start doing it!

CHECK OUT THE PHOTOS FROM THE GIG HERE