Even in the midst of a torrential downpour, a large crowd gathered in the band room refusing to let the miserable weather dampen their enthusiasm for the music. First up was solo act Kikuyu a.k.a Sez Wilks who you may have already seen playing keys in Aleks & The Ramps. Her solo shows are far more impressive with her cutesy lo-fi stylings being well received by the audience. Kikuyu plays minimalist pop with live vocal looping that made for a heavenly listening experience. In particular her cover of Phil Collins “Sussudio” was fantastic and she’s definitely an act worth keeping an eye on.
The Tiger & Me have come a long way since I saw them launching their “Big Trapeze” single at the Curtin band room many moons ago. They showed the darker side of their nature with their new material that shys away from their big band cabaret sound and is a far more sombre affair, as front man Ade Vincent explained “tonight we present the Silent City which represents the struggling and the reflections of us losing our collective minds”. Fortunately for all who were present The Tiger & Me do poignant, quiet moments very well with Vincent’s, Jane Hendry’s and Tobias Selkirk’s split vocals sounding amazing onstage.
Highlights included stunning renditions of “I Left The Wolves”, ‘The Sunrise” and their new single “The Smoke”. The band ended the evening on a high as they indulged in a frenzied performance of “Tango” and “Oh My Darling” before bidding us all a fond farewell. The Tiger & Me are a versatile group and their emotive sounds will tug at your heart strings while leaving you sweaty and begging for more of their raucous onstage antics. They are grand performers who need to be experienced live and The Silent City EP launch was a very fun affair.
