Broken Stone Records is a tiny but lively independent label that I hadn’t heard of before this gig - but after attending this showcase I’m definitely a huge fan. The Museum of Contemporary Art was the perfect venue for this little shindig - they should hold events like this more often. The atmosphere was perfect and there was a great visual display going on behind the stage throughout the night too, to tie in with the Vivid Festival.

Doors opened at seven and there was a much too long wait for the first act to start playing, but when Caitlin Park set foot on the stage the 45 minutes we had to wait definitely seemed worth it. A young, classically trained Sydney songwriter, she has supported bands such as Pony Up and Leader Cheetah, and has played gigs alongside high calibre artists like Holly Throsby and Sarah Blasko. Live, her music is a fusion of interesting samples, acoustic and electric guitar and percussion with her beautiful voice shining through, of course. She was a fantastic starter act.

The next band to play were The Maple Trail, a tight band with great vocals. Caitlin Park joined them onstage about halfway through the set and added a great harmony to their chilled out semi-acoustic tunes. There were however, a few technical difficulties during the set - it’s possible that perhaps the MCA sound techies just need a little more practice.

After The Maple Trail, Magnetic Heads played a slightly more lively set. The lead singer, Jonathon Miller, had a fantastic voice although he did not put much expression into his playing. The band played very well and their music was flawless, with a great beat.

To end the night, Sister Jane played some laidback, country-folk tunes excellently. There was a plethora of instruments used during their set, from the usual percussion and guitar set up to a harmonica and even a flute! The crowd was very appreciative of their talent and the band wrapped up a fantastic gig perfectly. The variety of genres, voices and instrumentation to be heard throughout the night was extremely commendable, and Broken Stone Records do indeed seem like a tight-knit family, as they let us know from time to time.

It was certainly a rainy long weekend night well spent.