There was room to swing a buffalo, as Tracey Mc Neal opened the evening for The Audreys this past Friday night at The Corner. She sat along side Matt Green on electric guitar and dobro, as the pair performed sparsely dispersed 35 – 50 people.
It was clear from early on that a fine vintage audience would be attending as silver flecks were lit up on the heads of many who stood in intimate pairs or small groups and chatted loudly to the slow backing tracks of Mc Neal.
Nicholas Roy and Adam ‘the smiley faced drummer’ Coad were the next support up. Their energy was a pleasant escalation, as the pair visibly enjoyed themselves as they performed songs with energy and enthusiasm, including Taxi, Walls and a song currently being played at Triple J called It’s all my fault. Noteworthy was a song written about Nicholas’ late grandmother. A quarter of the way through, there were some technical difficulties and Roy’s keyboard stopped working. In a gutsy display, a slightly startled Roy sung the remainder of the song a cappella to a silent room, showcasing his stunning voice. Although not planned, the incident inspired a witty segue into the next song titled, Before the world collapses. “Locusts, Floods and now my keyboard is the third thing,” joked Roy as people steadily steamed in throughout the set and stook their place with eyes on Roy. By the end of the set, The Corner - although not sold out, was suitably full and ready for the headliner, The Audreys.
An ultra sexy Taasha Coats walked out in stage following the rest of the band and opened the set with the goose bump raising Oh honey, and the audience were reminded why they had left the comfort of their homes that evening.
“The rest of the band are very ‘folk’ but Taasha, she is just something else, she is just something else,” said a sobriety challenged mother of three standing next to me and she trailed off getting lost in the sight of Taasha. With her subtly rotating hips, her magical gypsy hands and hauntingly beautiful voice, she had enough sex appeal to almost turn the poor mother. Though Tristen Goodall's roving guitar and applaud worthy solos, and indeed the input of the rest of the band also did not fail to smiles on the faces of all in the room.
“We have been looking forward to this. This is the first time we have played in Melbourne, when we have all lived in Melbourne, I’m getting a taxi home tonight!” an excited Coats remarked in between songs.
The night saw a great many instruments played, including the drums, bass and electric guitar, the doboro and the banjo, but also the spoons, the ukulele, harmonica, keyboard, accordion, tambourins and the melodica. The latter is that strange instrument that is blown, yet has keys like a keyboard and produces a polyphonic sound. An instrument that Coats is clearly quite fond of as took the time to explain those unawae in he crowd.
The band pushed their way through songs like Small things, Chelsea Blues,and You and Steve Mc Queen. Yet the highlight of the evening occurred towards the close of the gig, when Nicolas Roy was invited back to the stage for a remarkable cover of INXS’ Don’t Change.
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