Reviewed on Sunday September 13
For a small venue in a somewhat removed location beneath its larger sibling, Camelot Lounge, Django Bar has managed to establish a strong sense of personality. From the Django Reinhardt artwork and kitschy ornaments, to the well-thumbed board games scattered about, it’s a room with character (and a well-stocked bar, because, well, music).
Kicking off the night, fresh from gallivanting around Bigsound, was Georgia Mooney. I’ve been fortunate enough to catch Mooney several times over the last year, and while she has always been an engaging, idiosyncratic performer, tonight she seemed in particularly fine form. In part, I suspect this is because her mandolin prowess has developed tremendously in recent times, and rather than accentuating her vocals it now has a more active role in the set.
Her voice really is something exceptional; Mooney can drop to the most delicate notes and then suddenly, she soars with such colour and confidence. ‘Someone Has My Man’ is a standout, whose lyrics are full of vivid auguries (“dancing at a Bible’s length divide”). Similarly ‘Birthday Song’ is an enduring, if melancholic favourite. Yet it was new song, ‘Childhood Home’, that became the highlight, whose lyrics of fixed memory, nostalgia and exhumed pets (yep) was quite touching.
I caught The Mae Trio at the National Folk Festival, and while seeing them in festival mode was fun – after all, it is how the three themselves cut their teeth, growing up perched front-of-stage at folk festivals across the country – enjoying them in this intimate showcase was a testament of why we see live music in the first place. Their harmonies are altogether haunting, and given principal singers Maggie and Elsie Rigby are sisters, also quite unique. With Anita Hillmann rounding out the trio on vocals and cello, you could settle back and listen to these guys all night. From opening salvo ‘Mr Moon’ the tone was set – intricate, enchanting Australian folk – but second song ‘Rain’ was the first full indication of how compelling this trio can be as lyrics and harmonies left you rooted to the seat.
The trio has recently released an EP, September, en route to their next album, which features a cover of Lorde’s ‘Buzzcut Season’. Both studio and live, their rendition is a real show-stopper, while another cover, Ruth Moody’s ‘Glory Bound’, left the crowd with goosebumps.
For my money, though, the crown of the evening was the picturesque ‘Skye’, an ode to the eponymous Scottish Isle, and which is in my head even now. This tour is still in its infancy, and should you have the chance, break into a run and catch these girls and their preternatural voices.
