Fresh from a nine-month break, brother and sister duo Angus & Julia Stone sang their way into many a heart on a sweaty Canberra evening. Performing for the first time in nine months, Angus and Julia showed no sign of cob-webs as they played songs from their new album Down the Way.
Excited to see their new material, and a few old classics, the crowds filled ANU bar as support act Boy and Bear strummed thoughtfully and began to warm up the ANU canteen. They were a solid choice for support act, and eased the crowd into an acoustic and folk-tinged mood.
After a painfully extended wait, Angus and Julia Stone rose to the stage, with a band including Jeff Buckley’s former bass player and drummer. The opening two songs set the mood for the night as they began to strum away and play some of their newer tunes.
Having only been released, the crowd was less receptive to the new album. Although despite the freshness of the record, songs such as Santa Monica Dream and Big Jet Plane were performed with conviction and accuracy.
Older songs such as Private Lawns showcased Julia’s trumpet talent and the haunting close vocal harmonies of Angus. This piece demonstrated them at their acoustic trance-like best, as the audience began to be swept away.
Well-known hits such as Mango Tree brought a spring to the audiences step. However, the un-doubtable music highlight was Julia’s solo rendition of You’re the One that I Want from Grease and was the steal of the evening. With sublime vocals and a highly original laid back take on the song, it was surely the highlight for me.
My only gripe with the evening was the relative lack of crowd interaction. At times the crowd became disinterested and began talking, much to the annoyance of the true, attentive fans.
Overall it was an enjoyable gig, and I will soon be purchasing a copy of their second album Down the Way.
