KINGSWOOD played old favourites and new songs from Midnight Mavericks to an energetic crowd at Lefty’s Music Hall in Brisbane.
The night kicked off with a support set from country artist Briana Dinsdale. Dinsdale was even more hyped than the crowd to be seeing KINGSWOOD perform, as she told us between songs. She played a set of originals and a couple of covers, including Chris Stapleton’s “Hard Livin’” which made a girl near me Google him and say “WOW he’s HOT!” Dinsdale introduced each of her songs with some background about why they were written: “Stonewall” was a sad song about trying to make someone feel the same way she did, “Never Love Again” was about being cheated on, and “Resentment” was an angry break-up song. “Real Time Love” was more uplifting, and Dinsdale suggested it could be taken as a 101 on dating.
After doing a quick sound-check, KINGSWOOD returned to the stage and kicked off with their latest album Midnight Maverick’s opener “Two Lovers.” Stephanie Greenwood, who provided backup vocals on the album, joined them for their entire show. Her voice provided harmonies that stood out in the new songs but also gave their older work an extra layer.
“Lovin’ A Girl” and “The Action”, also from Midnight Mavericks, followed. Fergus Linacre and Alex Laska took turns on lead vocals, and they ripped through “Heartbreak Ain’t Gold” and “Good Whiskey” from Home before addressing the crowd for the first time. Laska ad-libbed, “It’s a 360 affair tonight… I’ve never had an affair! Or have I?” These kinds of questions and answers continued until someone near the front called out, “Play a song!” and they started “Mercy.” Linacre’s falsetto was note-perfect and rang out over the top of their guitars.
The crowd admittedly ruined a chance for call and response during “Burning Holes”, which had Laska telling us off in the middle of the final chorus, saying “I thought, we’d be in Brisbane, we’ll be at Lefty’s Music Hall, it’ll be a 360 degree affair, the first part of this would feel like a lightning strike from the God of thunder… and it would fill my heart… all of our hearts. And you know what happened? NOTHING!” He then prompted us to sing back “Oh oh, oh oh”, multiple times, scoring us a 6 out of 10 until we finally reached a 10. Old favourite “Ohio” was electrifying, with Linacre taking the lead vocals and encouraging everyone to sing “You can stay a little longer” with him. Laska and drummer Josh Koop were the main focus before the final verse, as Laska shredded his way through a guitar solo and Koop pounded his way through a drum solo.
They took it down a little to play “Golden”, with Linacre moving to keys, before Greenwood took on lead vocals for a cover of “What the Cowgirls Do” by Vince Gill. The drum solo on “Last One’s Kicking In” was a highlight, and the band crouched on the floor so the crowd had a perfect view of Koop. “Jenny”, easily the stand-out track of Midnight Mavericks, was also a stand-out in a set stuffed with stand-out moments. Linacre’s vocals on “Jenny” showed a lot of range and emotion, especially when asking “did you ever get my letter?” The band finished with “Cigarettes in Bed” and made the crowd crouch on the floor as they played. While I’m not one to bow to peer pressure, being the only person standing in the midst of a crowd of people kneeling was daunting, so I rushed to a spot where I could lean against a wall to guarantee I’d be able to stand upright again – this old grey mare ain’t what she used to be!
Full credit must be given to the venue’s sound engineers who did not stumble once as the band changed from acoustic to electric guitars, guitars to keys, and rhythm guitar to pedal steel guitar. The drums and bass did not drown out or overshadow any of the other instruments or the voices on stage, but were loudly present throughout the show.
And more than anything, full credit must be given to the band for their performance. It was clear they were loving every minute of being on stage and playing their music to an adoring crowd. They played their new songs with excitement and their older songs with the same enthusiasm they did when they were new, demonstrating how their skill and showmanship have grown over the years. KINGSWOOD are cementing themselves as one of the most talented and fun bands going around Australia today.
KINGSWOOD’s Midnight Mavericks tour continues in June. Find ticket information HERE.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Header image credit: Justine McNamara
Reviewer attended 28.05.26
