Check out the action here

The Globe is a strange venue with its carpeted sloped floor and strange candy bar doubling as drinks bar arrangement. Every time you attend it feels as though you’re there to see a show, something of importance, rather than just another gig. Tonight we’re here for the Big Sound Showcase featuring Australian artists and it starts off feeling pretty specia. By the end it feels like a long night with the performers not quite giving their all. Bob Evans finished his set with a furious strumming session in the audience which did a tad to lift his performance above awful. Perhaps this reviewer’s take on the night is slightly askew by having to stay for the entire show, whereas other punters might make there way from venue to venue to check what’s on offer. Big Sound is certainly an asset to Brisbane’s live music scene and showcases some amazing Australian talent and tonight’s show at the Globe reflects the success of the event.

Melbourne-based Megan Washington and her band (here tonight playing as Washington) start their set strongly, with each member proving themselves more than competent. Washington’s voice soars immediately in a curious mixture of the gruff, knowing Martha Wainwright and the fleeting Sarah Blasko and introduces herself as a vocalist to watch to any members of the audience who aren’t familiar with her work. (side note: Check out her vocals on The Bamboo’s excellent cover of Kings of Leon’s King of the Rodeo.) Washington’s keyboard playing isn’t as inspiring as her voice and relies too much on simplistic repetition, as do the lyrics. Her keys help direct the songs tonight, and it’s not a particularly good thing. The slower songs are strong, but only hint at some deeper resonance, and most of the atmosphere created here can be attributed to the guitarist’s strong and creative input throughout. While the band is interesting and Washington is at times a stunning vocalist, they lack a spark. Last song Sunday Best packs a frenzied punch in the right direction and left us wondering where this talented singer will go. What’s Washington offer tonight doesn’t suggest big things, just potential.

Apparently three members of The Chemist couldn’t attend tonight for whatever reasons. Ben Witt (who plays lead guitar for Bob Evans) appears onstage alone with his guitar and loop pedals. He proceeds to create what appears to be considerably stripped down versions of the band’s songs. It’s evident from the outset that Witt is a major talent, with multi-faceted vocals and formidable guitar playing. He’s a perplexing character on stage who appears shy and awkward, yet unleashes endless waves of fearlessness. Witt is endlessly experimental, throwing all sorts of interesting feats into the set: singing into his guitar, shaking around a pick inside his guitar and looping the result and the highlight being the multi-looped vocals during one track. Witt’s final song was a brilliant display of his musicianship and there’s no doubt this guy can go where he wants, if only he’d tidy up his generally inane lyrics. The crowd was a little confused and more than a bit curious to what Witt did on stage but no doubt he made them listen and recognize he was doing something special.

Bob Evans hits the stage to far more fanfare than the evening’s earlier bands, with the Globe’s sloped floor filling up, with a group of energetic girls dancing up front. The band establishes themselves immediately as a tight unit filled with individually strong players, especially Witt and the keyboardist, who do their best to elevate this type of pop. Evans for some reason has incredulously taped fairy lights to his guitar. It makes him look amateurish and gimmicky. I’m sure that was what he was going for in some ironic way, but it just made me go “Urgh!” I guess it goes with the territory with this type of child-pop. One stand-out track Evans managed to squeeze out was Don’t You Think It’s Time, which sounds genuine amid the jumbled mish-mash of his other cornier songs. Being the most established and commercially successful of the acts on the bill tonight means little when the other bands here tonight offer far more interesting offerings than this guy.

Drawn From Bees are an interesting proposition, haircuts aside. Firstly, vocalist Dan James has the range that you just know he could do anything with, so it’s curious then that he lingers on his words a little too long, stretches them a little too far, and subsequently they lack punch. It’s a little like those Australian Idol contestants who try to get as much out of every note as they possibly can. Raven Jones on lead guitar and keyboards is a great asset to the band, creating rich textures throughout, on both keys and guitar. Sonically Drawn From Bees are quite endearing and likeable. However, the audience seemed to be waiting for those hooks and breakdowns they should be delivering. Set closer Long Tooth Setting Sun goes some ways to addressing these issues, and is clearly the highlight, with the three vocal joust especially appealing.