Melbourne’s Husky finally decided to make their first visit to Canberra, touring their latest album Ruckers Hill, and they set up in Transit Bar to a rather diverse audience.
They were supported by the lovely Ali Barter – a very talented artist, whose rich vocals were teamed with ethereal keyboard riffs, strong rhythms and dark musical undertones. Influences of a range of different contemporary acts came through in her music, and she successfully provided a perfect introduction to the night.
Husky opened with the first and title track of from Ruckers Hill, the layered harmonies were an ideal place to start their set, and their sweet singing was brought to life with driving guitar riffs that pulled energy from the very fabric of the place and delivered it directly to the audience.
The set was well thought-out, and was designed to take the audience on a journey. Heartbeat further showcased their strong and captivating harmonies. It’s never a bad idea for a band to feature three-part harmonies, especially when they’re as solid live as Husky’s, and their vocals were flawless.
It was nice to hear some of their older songs too, with Tidal Wave, History’s Door and The Woods being standouts from their first album; it was interesting to see how their sound has changed over time. However, the audience were less enthusiastic about the older songs, which seemed somewhat overshadowed by the arguably musically superior, and catchier songs of Ruckers Hill.
Live, Husky certainly managed to bring their album to life. It didn’t matter that this is difficult music to dance to – the audience mostly just swayed and smiled. The band’s between-song banter was endearing, as they thanked the audience, asked them to move in closer, and wanted to know where the party was happening after the show.
The last few songs built the energy further and the crowd responded, finally dancing along as the drums rolled out a rhythm that got everyone’s feet moving. I’m Not Coming Back was a definite crowd-pleaser, with country influences and particularly catchy melody.
The highlight of the night came at the final song, where they announced they wanted to venture into the audience. Armed with tambourine, acoustic guitar and piano accordion, the boys stood among the people and kindly asked the crowd to hush. They then pulled out a beautiful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Lover, Lover, Lover complete with the harmonies provided by band members, and wailing audience, coming together to make a strong chorus of voices that actually worked quite well.
It was a beautiful ending to the night, and really formed a connection between Husky and the audience that can only be achieved with a sing-a-long!
Images by Ben Davies / oh.snap photos
