It was a brutally cold May evening in the capital when Daniel Merriweather landed at the trendy little cavern that is Zierholz @ UC.
Those attempting to escape the chill were in for a delectable treat, as the night opened with local six-piece, Funkasaurus.
I had never heard of this group but was pleasantly surprised to discover that the majority of the band was made up of members from the Canberran hip hop group; Raw City Rukus.
Funkasaurus offered a melodic divergence from the usual beats of their other project, the group retained their youthful funk and delighted the audience with their contagious energy. Vocalist Imogen Spong drew in the crowd with her soulful croon.
Of particular mention was their tribute to Amy Winehouse through their cover of ‘You Know I’m No Good’. The uncanny vocal resemblance that Spong shares with the fallen singer caused the rendition to be chilling, raising goosebumps throughout the crowd.
Leaving the stage, yet not without leaving a lasting impression, Funkasaurus were a delightful act and were a fantastic indication of the talent residing within the Canberra music scene.
Next on stage was the enigmatic Fantine. Sassy, sensual and sophisticated, this gorgeous singer had a deep, throaty voice that caused my jaw to hit the floor.
Noting her resemblance to artists such as Sia and Kimbra, my Indie-inclined heart was delighted by her original set, which was littered with lyrical gems such as ‘Perfect Strangers’, ‘Eleven’ and ‘Rubber Room’.
Fantine’s powerful and compelling vocals were complemented by the effortless cool that she exuded. At the conclusion of her set her humble request for our email addresses in exchange for a free copy of her single ‘Perfect Strangers’ felt hardly like a compromise.
Drink in hand, Daniel Merriweather entered the stage creating a pleasant buzz among the intimate crowd. He opened with crowd favourite ‘Getting Out’ and quickly followed up with ‘Vodka’ – which appealed to the by now slightly intoxicated UC cohort.
Merriweather’s soulful vocals charmed as his masculinity came off in waves, his softly spoken lyrics placating the audience.
The now-independent artist wooed the predominantly hipster, Vans-wearing, flannelette-donned crowd in attendance with his witty banter and down to earth manner.
“Don’t go to my website yet. It looks like a record company took a giant s*** on it”, he dead-panned, much to the delight of patrons.
Merriweather’s set continued and his haunting rendition of the American folk song ‘In the Pines’ was a stand out, once again causing the hairs on the backs of necks to stand at attention.
It was a fantastic gig and one left with not only a belly full of Zierholz special brew but a variety of new songs to peruse.
