Sia @ The Enmore Theatre,Sydney (03/02/11)

Sun 6th Feb, 2011 in Gig Reviews

Ms Sia Furler may well be the perfect proof that the mainstream pop system does not work towards awarding creativity. A pretty, quirky blonde with a magnificent voice a knack for great songwriting and more than a little creative freedom with her image, she still remains relatively below the radar. Even when recently given the mouthpiece of music superstar and close friend Christian Aguleira as an output for her work, seeing her brings the sort of pity for impending extinction seeing a panda at a zoo does. Meanwhile, Ke$ha continues to make number one singles.

The Holidays, both in terms of the trajectory of their career and their short supporting set, have taken their time to find their sound. Tonight they play with both a drummer and a percussionist, giving their show a more afro-beat feel than initially suspected. Their good spirits and tight playing probably coming from experience in support slots when few crowd members are willing to acknowledge their existence more so than any appreciation from the audience; they still thank the crowd for making their “hometown show a memorable one”. That said, they prove why their AMP-nominated Post Paradise deserved such an accolade.

The Sia stage show is unique in that while presenting a crotched, technicolour dream, it still allows her display probably her greatest asset: her character. She arrives dressed entirely black, down to being painted in blackface; not the most “PC” move but I’ll let it slip, and quickly hits out The Fight and 2008 single Buttons.

But what becomes a running theme throughout her show is that the songs become few and far between, reserved for moments when she isn’t interacting with the crowd. It only adds to the mystery of her lack of major success when she gets a sold-out Enmore theatre to laugh harder than some comedians who will grace the same stage in a month. She willingly accepts gifts, requests and even the odd insult from her legion of fans (some of which have taken up her dress sense with sequins and pipe cleaners in abundance).

The downside then is that the heavy pauses create an uneven show. Sia clearly has a desire to connect with her fanbase, but she also has a job to get down to, a job her four-piece band will often remind her of during the night through interruptions and commencing the next song without her. It gets even more awkward when her slower songs start coming along; an elongated lull is created and while the faithful towards the front are still in her hands, the bar starts being visited a bit more often.

However, what shines is Sia’s voice, first and foremost. Among one of the strongest vocalists the country has produced, her range is impeccable and her abilities are only strengthened in the live arena. You get the feeling she’s one of pop’s last show woman but is still doing kids parties. And though that may be her of own choosing (you really couldn’t leave without a smile on your face), you can’t help but feel that there is so much more that she could achieve, even when the general public are less than compelled by the greatness in front of them.