Reviewed on Saturday December 19
With the under-18-year-olds penned off in the mosh area, Sunshine Coast singer-songwriter Ayla proved a sweet precursor for the night. Showcasing the strength of her songwriting through rich vocal depth and a three-piece band, the rising talent gave a resounding performance of songs ‘Waiting’, ‘When The World Ends’ and her cover of Hunters & Collectors’ ‘Throw Your Arms Around Me’.
Piercing screams soon greeted Lime Cordiale’s quiet entrance to the stage for their biggest home gig yet, marking the Sydney group’s next phase. The lineup of eight players for the evening, with founding members and brothers Louis and Oli Leimbach front and centre, was celebrating the release of the Road To Paradise EP with shirts undone and a side of disbelief. ‘Hanging Upside Down’ triumphantly rung through the venue, though it saw a battle between the sound levels of vocals, keys and horns.
A few songs down and sound clashes resolved, older tunes ‘Sleeping At Your Door’ and ‘Falling Up the Stairs’ had their chance to shine, filling ears via their respective ’60s surf rock drum loop and slinky trombone. As the band members were enjoying themselves with smiles plastered on faces, blowing kisses and sharing details of mischief they’d heard the younger audience members were up to before the main event, the years of playing intimate venues were proving to have paid off.
The boys’ solid cover of ‘My Friend’ by Groove Armada was next up, served with a dose of irony. Thoroughly enjoyed by the ‘older’ crowd, you couldn’t help but grin at the thought that most in the room were unaware of the classic, being infants when the tune was released.
Regardless, Lime Cordiale’s approach to producing music has held true, and it was clear that the younger members of their fan base are in good hands, particularly when ‘Pretty Girl’ kicked in. With the crowd thumping and their four-piece brass section making wind instruments sexy, the group were in fifth gear and new single ‘Not That Easy’ marked a swarming end to the set.
Chants of “one more song” filled the room before Lime Cordiale managed to exit the stage, confirming the sentiment throughout the crowd that they’ve successfully grown into a new stage of their career – it’s only a matter of time before their following skews a little older and their venue sizes increase again.
