Florence and the Machine @Challenge Stadium, Perth(10/08/2010)

Thu 12th Aug, 2010 in Gig Reviews

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Would an icy cold weeknight stop Perth from turning out in force to farewell Florence and the Machine from Australia? Heck no! Luckily, Challenge Stadium’s stark interior was filled with enough bodies to keep the cold at bay. Arguably the most popular lady in music this minute, one Miss Florence Welch seems to be having an incredible effect on females the world over. Perth women trotted out in nearly every single fashion do and don’t under the sun – with one young girl wearing an Indian headdress and what appeared to be a mouldy old rug? Ladies! You are not Florence! Step away from the costume box…

But imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and when the lights went down, there was only one quirky dresser who heads craned to see. The very quiet, anticipating crowd were teased by an intro something like an electrical storm throwing silhouettes on a heavy curtain. As far as entrances go, it was exciting, wonderfully off-kilter and nearly perfect – except for the fact that it dragged on for what felt like 15 minutes. What in the world was going on back there? The crowd’s excitement had all but faded when (finally!) Welch’s silhouette at the mic! And, when the first beats of Drumming Song resounded as the curtain rose, the show was underway.

Florence Welch is a fairy. Honestly, the proof is all there. Her tousled, red locks; her penchant for sheer, flowing, dresses; her ethereal and sprite-like dance moves. And most importantly, that immense voice, loaded with so much raw power that it is simply magical. The record does not do Welch’s voice justice. She trembled with emotion in the quiet moments and roared with conviction in the big ones, showcased beautifully in HOWL and the vocal aerobics of I’m Not Calling You a Liar.

But the demure vixen wasn’t the only Machine member working hard for an adoring Perth crowd. Tom Monger’s nimble fingers were but a blur over golden harp strings. In fact, the highlight of the set was due in no small part to Monger and the beautifully delicate sounds he created. Just imagine: the oriental-inspired backdrop gives way to glittering fairy starlight, Monger begins to work wonders on the harp and drummer Bruce thumps out a drum beat which honestly sounded like a jilted lover’s broken heartbeat. Cosmic Love was just that incredible, and a definite highlight.

While Welch seems quite sheepish, mumbling her hellos, she is definitely savvy and crowd-aware. Her audience was strangely reserved and quiet in parts, which she successfully countered with energy to spare and strict instructions to “keep jumping!” for smash hit Dog Days Any shyness she may have is clearly forgotten in her performance. Welch gave the crowd exactly what they wanted with daring moves – fronting the stage for Blinding with heavy breathing and shrouded in a delicate cloak. She is a striking stage presence, similar to that of Karen O (of the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs), but with a softer, almost dreamy, inclination.

Hits Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) and Lungs were delivered fairly true to the recorded versions, but Florence and the Machine’s encore tested a rocked up version of Kiss With a Fist which was loaded with grungy guitar. To be honest, it slightly missed the mark. Hurricane Drunk was also given a different treatment, stripped back to just Welch and Robert Ackroyd on acoustic guitar. Again, it was a bit disappointing. The traditional recorded version would have been so much better – the intense emotion in the breakdown just didn’t translate when the rest of the song was so bare.

In fact, Welch’s entire encore (a three song set) was more than a little confusing and a touch sub-par. From a weird intro in to Heavy In Your Arms, followed by the aforementioned noise-rock version of Kiss With a Fist, it looked like the beginning was going to be better than the end. Luckily, Dog Days rounded out the show with a big ol’ sing-a-long, clap-a-long, dance-a-long celebration. It is one of those songs that is uplifting on a record, but when performed live is altogether another type of joy!

It was the perfect note on which to end a night of beautiful music which filled Challenge with so many smiling faces; songs like snippets from stories that won’t soon be forgotten.

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