At some point in our lives, we will undoubtedly find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. Though such a phrase connotes a place I’m sure we’d rather not be, the same cannot be said when finding ourselves between two Stones – Angus and Julia Stone – and a rather enchanted night time park setting.

Such was the case last Friday night at the Enmore Theatre where a sold out audience was stunned into a subdued silence as the sibling duo took to a dreamy stage, giving a whole lot of heart and a rather distinguished amount of soul through their simply transfixing voices: hers angelic, and an effective contrast to his harsher rasp. They shed a new light to what we consider as personal, delivering heartfelt crooning that engages the listener from beginning to end with unwavering intimacy.

Although a home grown talent, Angus and Julia have been sharing their music with overseas fans for quite some time now, making their return home for their biggest Australian tour yet an eagerly anticipated event.

A bulging crowd filled the Enmore quickly, anticipation clearly evident as fans eyed the stage for any sign of the beloved brother and sister. And then, simply and nonchalantly, they emerged. She floated out in a floor skimming red dress while he shyly, but fittingly, hid behind an overbearing hat and tufts of bushy hair. Within moments, guitars were strung over shoulders and they were off on a whimsical, no fuss journey of raw music through unbounded lyrics.

Welcoming the crowd with a demure Santa Monica Dream on the front portion of the otherwise concealed stage, the curtain then rose to reveal a charmed, romantically lit setting complete with a very realistic willow tree decorated in fairy lights. Song selection for the evening was as varied as it was unconventional, with crowd favourites like Big Jet Plane and Hold On met with covers of You’re The One That I Want and Neil Young’s Comes a Time.

Angus and Julia are unrestrained in their ability to give you everything they’ve got. So much so that it’s forgivable if you left the show feeling as though you now knew more about the siblings than you do about your closest friend or partner. Julia introduced a poignantly beautiful new song (written whilst touring regional Queensland recently) by declaring: “this is about an experience I recently went through.” With lyrics like ‘I learnt my lesson nobody is to blame, except you’, ‘we tell half of the story’, and ‘I believe in love, no darling, you can’t take that away from me’, it is quite clear that a recent experience has troubled our beloved Julia. Hurting or not, the audience is given an all access pass to Julia’s heart. As she reveals all, it seems that the experience is as cathartic for her as it is for us listeners.

The true depth of talent that Angus and Julia possess can be difficult to understand without seeing them perform, for the repertoire of instruments each is able to play is so extensive that it has to be seen, not just heard, to be believed. From guitar to keyboard, to harmonica and even piano accordion – some played simultaneously – it is not difficult to see why they have gathered quite a following. Talent like theirs certainly doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.

If love has a language, then Angus and Julia have given it song. Romantic energy was in overdrive, with lovers sneaking a secretive kiss here and there, and stray arms creeping over neighbours to steal an embrace. You would think such heightened levels of affection wouldn’t be appreciated by all, but every audience member seemed to have been caught off guard by the overwhelming power that Angus and Julia wield. They’ve caught us in their spell, and tonight, everyone is a lover.

Rarely is ‘beautiful’ the first word that springs to mind when defining a show, but in the case of Angus and Julia Stone, no other word can adequately sum up the night. As a rather large fan before seeing them perform, I am now reduced to childlike tantrums – something along the lines of “I want to see them again, and I want to see them now”. Needless to say, their next tour to hit Sydney – whenever it may be – is likely to follow in the footsteps of that just passed, as a much coveted and sold out event.

Check out the photos from the gig