Angus & Julia Stone, Jez Mead@ Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide(02/04/10)

Tue 6th Apr, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Jez Mead opened for the sold-out Good Friday gig; a solo figure on the broad Thebby stage, though managing to engage the audience with his lively presence. Stomping through his energetic roots and blues tunes, Mead’s raw, powerful voice is matched by his on-stage charisma. A highlight was a Massive Attack cover to see out Mead’s short set, making good use of his fine acoustic guitar skills, harmonica and loop pedal.

The Thebby was adorned with a backdrop reminiscent of a 1950’s lounge room, complete with vintage print wallpaper, assorted retro furniture, and antique lamps. With new single And The Boys enjoying high rotation on Triple J recently, the thrilled audience joined in a sing-along to show their recognition as Angus and Julia Stone opened with the track. An observation point from the theatre’s dress circle was rewarded with the view of pin-pricks of light like stars dotted throughout the crowd, emanating from many fans’ cameras raised in sync and adding to the dreamy atmosphere.

The early background chatter from the crowd was disappointing during For You and Draw Your Swords, but from the first chords of Julia’s solo of 2006 hit, Chocolate and Cigarettes, there was finally a hush over the audience to better suit this softly sung gig.

The 90-minute set flowed effortlessly, mixing treasured past favourites such as Wasted and Mango Tree with tracks from their eagerly awaited second album Down The Way, which has been topping Australian charts and featured on Triple J last month. On My Way appeared a crowd highlight, with the prominence of electric guitar and drums producing a rockier sound than the brother-sister duo’s traditional forte.

The Stone siblings also showed their playful nature with some special covers interspersed in their set. Julia lent her mellow and laid-back signature style to a cover of You’re The One That I Want from film Grease to the audience’s delight. Julia and Angus later competed “duelling banjo-style” on guitars, finger-pickin’ and strummin’ through Just Blew In From The Windy City, though Julia seemed to be the deserving winner when she emerged with a surprise trumpet solo during the Doris Day song.

A vibrant encore featured Just A Boy, with energetic harmonica strains from Angus as his sister danced bare-footed across the stage. Fleetwood Mac’s Thunder Only Happens When It Rains also got a Stone reinterpretation with support by Jez Mead, who joined the band in taking the gig and national sell-out tour to a close with Santa Monica Dream.

Expect to hear a lot more from Angus and Julia Stone as their new album furthers its reach and they deservedly continue to mark their stamp on the national and international music scene.