Reviewed on Sunday April 24
In the breathtaking, cavernous cathedral to music that is the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, it is always a little perplexing to see a contemporary act perform live. Decorum dictates that punters file in neatly and in orderly fashion before taking their allocated seats. With no mosh pit, no sticky beer-stained floor, and no real room to move about and groove, it is a mannered and civilised sequence of events. However, a truly great performer knows how to bask in the magnificence of the iconic venue, all the while shrugging off the stiltedness and crafting an atmosphere of intimacy with the audience. Melbourne-based Vance Joy managed just that.
Hirsute minstrels Holy Holy were on first, opening with a lush working of ‘Sentimental And Monday’, the first track from last year’s debut album. Their relaxed, dreamy melodies easily charmed the crowd, as did their closing number, dedicated to “such a tower in music”, Prince. And while their cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ had more in common with the Sinéad O’Connor version than the original, it was nonetheless a beautifully heartfelt rendition.
Dressed all in black, man of the hour Vance Joy, née James Keogh, took to the stage to the sounds of a slow building version of ‘Mess Is Mine’. It was a rousing prelude that received a deafening response from the crowd. Clearly this muso has come a long way since his first open mic night back in 2009. And revealing an ease with the limelight, Joy relished bantering with the audience between songs and making fun of himself, even admitting that in a failed display of manliness he had attempted to rescue a giant huntsman earlier that day, releasing it outside, only for it to be swooped down upon by a myna bird.
His 2013 triple j Hottest 100 winner ‘Riptide’ had fans jumping out of their seat, as did his ukulele-led cover of Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’. Proving his star-pulling power, Joy called Emma Louise onstage for a pared-back cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Lay Lady Lay’, before being joined by Paul Kelly for another duet. Start to finish, this was a people-pleaser of a set attesting that Joy is very much part of the Australian rock establishment.
