The very likeable Luke Thompson is already gracing the stage with his smile and his guitar as I enter the Tivoli, beginning his short but sweet singer-songwriter set. He tells stories of home, the dark, travels and water, through beautiful melodic schemes that take the audience into a melancholic state. His smooth delivery distracts me from the fact that this is a seated set, yet I feel quite content whilst listening to his slow-tempo folk music. The New Zealander somehow manages to fill the empty spaces of the Tivoli with his homely voice that would make any stranger think he’s been a friend for years.

The intriguing set of I Know Leopard catches my attention immediately as their various instruments come alive for their performance. The quadruple’s bass, drums, keyboard, mixed vocals and violin collide together into a seemingly natural musical harmony. The slightly further upbeat show, including Perfect Picture and Close my Eyes even has the seated audience bopping along to the indie pop band from Sydney that somewhat resembles iconic 70’s musicians.

Neon Crimson introduces The Paper Kites, as the five-piece take onto the stage, harmonizing all of their unique voices perfectly in unison. As they continue their set, on a dim-light stage with carefully thought out audio-visual schemes, they pick up their own instruments and spread out across the stage. The set is unique and captivating, and it becomes clear that a lot of time has been spent conceptualising this performance. As they perform what seems to be a sort of soundtrack to various storylines panning out in video format at the back of the stage, the audience follows the four characters, which are portrayed through ‘’windows’’. The Tivoli’s halls are filled with acoustic folk melodies, partial blues influences and singer-songwriter tunes that create a tranquil and serene atmosphere, enjoyed by a comfortable audience.

The band does not talk throughout their set, maintaining suspense and allowing the audience to focus on the music. Various guitars of different styles and tunings, harmonica solos and clear vocal ability all highlight the bands musical talents, throughout songs such as Turns Within Me, Turns Within You. Unfortunately, the lead singers’ annunciation is sometimes difficult to decipher, which, though it adds to the mysterious ambience, leaves me slightly confused. Melancholic melodies, accompanied by booth gloomy, yet cheery phrases make for a very peacefully calming performance. I have to admit whilst sitting down, these light and dreamy tunes such as A Silent Cause had me fighting a blissful fatigue at some points throughout the show. Nonetheless, the indie rock band don’t abstain from a few upbeat songs such as Renegade, which in turn wake me up again, and cause a few chairs to move around as the viewers struggle to keep still. Of course, the quintet performs Bloom as a final piece, which even has some overly-confident audience members singing along.

The resolution of the video’s storyline, leaves behind an intrigued yet satisfied audience behind, as the humble musicians leave the stage. It’s so refreshing to observe an extraordinary, unique and well-thought out performance that clearly involves the musicians’ creative insight. The show was not just a show, not a mere concert, but a true audio-visual, musical and theatrical performance that I’d recommend to any indie music lovers.

Tara Zupp