A packed out and sweltering ANU Bar were treated to two of the country’s most exciting bands, plus an explosive dose of Canada last week when The Jezabels came to town.
The night opened with Melbourne band Alpine. The young group, fronted by two female vocalists, impressed with their catchy, poppy tunes and gorgeous harmonies, finishing with their more commonly known hit, ‘Villages’.
I’d never heard of second support act Hey Rosetta! before the evening, but the six-piece certainly made sure I stood up and took notice. The Canadian folk/indie rock band were a pleasure to watch, with their massive combination of guitar, drums, piano, violin and cello plus the charming vocals of front man Tim Baker. The good-looking bunch managed to pull a lot of punters away from the bar area and towards the stage, finishing in a flurry of energy with the title track off their most recent album, ‘Seeds’. The performance left my friend buying their album, and me Googling them the moment they got off stage.
By this stage, the venue was absolutely packed, with the masses highly anticipating the arrival of the main act. While the gig had originally sold out, a few additional tickets were released just before the show to ensure as many Canberrans as possible could cram into every last nook and cranny of the notoriously oven-like venue.
The Jezabels have already had a busy year, including notoriously shutting down the entrance to the G W McLennan stage at this year’s Splendour In The Grass. They’re now touring the country promoting their debut full-length album, Prisoner.
The group opened with the first two tracks from their latest album, with title track Prisoner, followed by its first single, Endless Summer.
The set list included a healthy mix of new tracks, combined with songs from their three EPs including crowd favourites Hurt Me, A Little Piece and Mace Spray.
Lead singer Hayley Mary kept crowd interactions to a minimum, and focused on belting out back-to-back powerful tracks. Despite her tiny frame, clad in head-to-toe black and skintight, leather pants, her powerful voice commanded attention above the roaring crowd.
The group returned to the stage for a two-song encore, with Sahara Mahala and Disco Biscuit Love drawing a strong reaction from the crowd.
Having seen The Jezabels twice this year at two different festivals, I was really keen to see them in a more intimate setting and thought this would really be where their performance thrived. While still an impressive performance, I really feel that the band are most at home on the outdoor stage. If you loved their ANU Bar performance, try to check them out at Homebake, Falls Festival, Southbound Festival or Big Day Out this Summer.
Photos by Chris Whitfield.
