Reviewed on Friday February 20 (photo by Ashley Mar)
A gorgeous evening at the Opera House Forecourt opens with Jarryd James – a capable singer who knows his way around a decent-enough hook, but is too swamped by his influences. Two fellow Jameses come to mind – Blake and Vincent McMorrow – but Jarryd is yet to absorb their charisma and mystique, only their sonic templates.
The dynamic between the core trio of Little May is pleasant, the songs initially charming. The majority of the set, however, meanders musically, trudging through grey areas that should burst with colour. It may have also been a mistake to hire a drummer who completely overshadows everyone else onstage.
They may be down a man following the departure of bassist Jeremy Kelshaw, but it’s done nothing to dampen Cloud Control’s spirit. Let’s be honest – could anything? It’s impossible to be unhappy while the Blue Mountains natives are playing. As they near the end of the touring cycle for 2013’s Dream Cave, the set bears an almost identical resemblance to that of their Laneway appearance roughly a year prior. Still, there is confirmation that Cloud Control are in the studio (their new shirts have the studio’s number on it), and it’s always a joy to revisit songs from both their albums. You can’t keep a good band down.
Angus & Julia Stone have never played a headlining show on this scale before. It’s confirmation that the siblings have truly escalated to the upper echelon of Australian music, backed by a set that, while inconsistent, validates their successes. The setlist traverses the bulk of the duo’s career, leaving out only A Book Like This. Each sibling gets their standout moment – Julia’s comes in a revived ‘Private Lawns’, complete with fluttering trumpet solo; while Angus still revels in playing ‘Yellow Brick Road’, one of his finest songs to date, despite accidentally switching lyrics between verses.
The most notable misstep of the night comes in the form of the Stones’ choice of covers. ‘You’re The One That I Want’ is a staple, as sweetly saccharine as it was the first time. A clearly unrehearsed ‘Stay With Me’ falls flat, however, while bringing out Cloud Control for a cheesy karaoke version of Little Red’s ‘Rock It’ is the ultimate cop-out. Still, it’s redeemed with the lush, stripped-back finale of ‘Santa Monica Dream’. With the backdrop of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, it’s never sounded nor felt as good as this.
