The Little Stevies @ TheVanguard, Sydney (23/6/10)

Mon 28th Jun, 2010 in Gig Reviews

It’s hard not to smile while The Little Stevies are on stage. Sisters Sibylla and Bethany Stephen and childhood friend Robin Geradts-Gill grew up together surrounded by music (their parents played together in a 70s pop group). With the welcome addition of percussionist extraordinaire Josh Barber, they became The Little Stevies, and the folk group from Melbourne have been warming hearts ever since.

A small audience of about forty people lounged around the tables in the Vanguard waiting for the show to begin. Ashleigh Mannix opened the show with nothing but her acoustic hummingbird guitar and her powerful voice. The crowd hushed appreciatively as she belted out soulful tunes of life and love. Unfortunately, the set ran a bit too long and the crowd started getting restless.

The Little Stevies didn’t make us wait long after Ashleigh finished, and the room felt the positive vibes as soon as they walked on stage smiling. The sisters were matching in blue, which Sibylla joked about later: “Is it too much being sisters and wearing the same color? I think it might be kind of daggy.” They opened the set with their single Sunshower, a beautifully melodic song rich in three-part harmonies and masterfully incorporating a wide range of instruments: acoustic guitar, bass, drums, xylophone, and even a rainstick.

As they moved through the set, The Little Stevies engaged with their enraptured audience. We giggled at every moment of witty banter between songs and felt the honesty in their lyrics. Each song brought something new to the table, from ukulele solos to 60s style background vocals. The Two Loves of His Life (Tram Song) switched things around, with bassist Robin Geradts-Gill on guitar and vocals, Josh Barber on ukulele, and the sisters sharing a mic for some adorable background vocals, smiling, swaying and snapping.

The girls explained how their next song, Grandma, shares a story their grandmother used to tell them about meeting their grandfather. The song is sweet and poignant, bolstered by the pleasant crooning of a harmonica. It’s obvious how much The Little Stevies enjoy playing together.

Near the end of the set, they debuted a new song called Feel It (“or something, we might change the name”). The first few notes were off while Sibylla laughed “She’s just put the kapo on the wrong fret, start again. Hit it!” They tried again with perfect success, always endearing and never awkward. The vocals were rich, there was a thick, snappy bassline, and if this is a preview of the next album we’re in for a real treat.

A few more songs saw the inclusion of a djembe, and the group took turns singing lead vocals. They ended their set with a self-titled song (they dared the audience to come up with any other band with a self-titled song but not a self-titled album, and to be fair we couldn’t think of anything). They danced around onstage to the exquisite guitar and uke picking and shimmering cymbals until it came to an end and they all stood together and took a bow.

After they left the stage, we all decided that we hadn’t heard enough and cheered them back out for an encore. They walked back out, totally surprised and completely gracious. “Did someone come out and say ‘come on give them an encore and make them feel better?’ Well this is a lovely night, thanks!” The audience requested Dear Daniel and clapped along. The night ended beautifully with Beth’s solo song Almighty Friend.

While some of the crowd might not have heard of them, The Little Stevies surely made some new fans. Their attitude is infectious and makes their dynamic live show even more engaging. Their music is enthusiastic, innocent, catchy, and refreshing. The Little Stevies are exactly what folk music needs: fun.

Check out the photos from the gig