Sannia 'Better' & 'Daylight' Twin Single Launch, Sydney 14/09/2019

THIS WAS NEVER MEANt TO BE

First and foremost, this review was never meant to be, but here we are.

Let me set the scene for you, it’s 11pm and Sannia, a talented young singer/songwriter all the way from the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria’s south, has been Travelling up to Sydney since 5am to put on a free show at a venue seldom spoken of, and never heard of by myself prior to the launch of her twin singles ‘Better’ and ‘Daylight’. 

Driving since 5am, small mysterious venue, sounds like a recipe for disaster..

“My sister calls it an ear-worm, it burrows in and gets stuck in your head”. That’s what Sannia said about her single ‘Better’ when I interviewed her recently, (Listen to the podcast here) so when she opens her set with the song, we, the audience, all have worms.

I was quite surprised that Sannia chose this to be her opening song as it’s definitely an infectious stand-out sensation of rich aural vibrancy, so it’s rather risky dishing out a trump-card/climactic song straight-up. Let me put it this way, you don’t show your hand too soon in poker right? You milk it, win as much as possible before hitting them with the royal-flush … but that’s exactly what makes this song the perfect initiation!

You may recall earlier this year my review of the CHVRCHES concert at the Sydney Opera House, in which I took you through my literally colourful musical perspective Synesthesia? Well tonight, Sannia starting her set with ‘Better’ is like being splashed in the face with a flurry of gorgeous, rich, vibrant red, orange and pink paint! Let me tell you, being splashed in the face with paint sure as hell brings you out of the mellow, lax 3-drink state! (don’t worry, I won’t be driving home with alcohol in my system, I’m not irresponsible!).

Now one’s performance can be perfect, but if the sound quality is poor, it’s like trying to polish a… and being a small, lesser used venue, my expectations weren’t high as far as the sound quality on the venues part. You know when a mate tells you “ah yeah, the new Avengers movie was alright” then you watch it and it blows your mind as your expectations weren’t unrealistically high? Well that’s EXACTLY the case tonight! A complementive minimal amplificated sound atop non-amplified drums is set just right and is pure, crisp, crystal-clear, resonating Sannia’s vocals naturally and simply perfectly through the rather classy intimate venue!

Right right, back to Sannia’s actual performance. As I said, this review was never meant to be, it was simply a nice night out to enjoy some music from a talented and all-in-all lovely artist, enjoying a drink or two with no requirements of a review. But oh… my… GOSH! 

I feel terrible that this show was free as this kind of musical and performance calibre is that of artists I’m used to packing out much, much larger venue and requiring a decent admission fee! I knew Sannia has a great voice and her three released singles all convey exquisite aural flavours and both vocal and musical diversity, but I know I know, I’m really laying it on heaps here, but seriously, I can see why people apparently cry during Sannia’s songs. In every song, I’m filled with swirling colours moving up and down the pitch tonal-key spectrum with her band perfectly complementing her musical complexity and honest raw emotions. And if you know her first single released last year ‘Go And Get Over’, you’d know the incredibly powerful, hard-to-hit note that occures on the word ‘fine’ five times throughout the song? Well she nails it live, all five of the ‘fine’s!

There’s really only one thing I find to let the show down to be honest, it only went for forty-five minutes or so. No seriously, I’m not being coerced to write this, each and every song brought a smile to my face and most gave me euphoric goose-bumps leaving me wanting more, but I knew my attempts at demanding an encore wouldn’t be successful. 

This review was never meant to be, but this performance demanded it. Because quite simply, when this musical gem is brought to the attention of the masses, performing at large theatres across the country to thousands of adoring fans, I want to be able to say…

I witnessed a performance that brought forth a review that was never meant to be... 

The Cat Empire 'Stolen Diamonds' National Tour, Sydney, October 3 2019

ANYBODY UP FOR SOMETHING TROPICAL?

Hello ladies and gentlemen, and welcome aboard The Chariot for The Cat Empire tropical island cruise featuring your host Oscar Wilde! Anybody not ready now better hold on tight, ‘cause the rhythm of this voyage is expected to be well, moving, to say the least! Onboard with us tonight, we have ‘Stolen Diamonds’ the latest gem from Melbourne’s favourite jazz kitties The Cat Empire, an album brighter than gold!

Ladies and gentlemen, wolves, fishies, bulls and everyone/thing else, please grab a cocktail and have your boarding pass ready, it’s time to party!…

As we stand at the precipice of the performance, the band walking out onto the stage and taking to the helm that are their respective instruments, the already densely packed theatre is filled with a wave of static excitement!

The first stop on this tropical venture, we’re met with a delectable serving of tropical jazz, fun and rasta in ‘Anybody’, featured on the band’s latest album, followed by the fruity cocktail of ‘Sleep Won’t Sleep’, I swear I can almost see the palm trees, coconuts and hammocks on the beach!

‘Anybody’ is like the “complementary” cocktail upon entry (that is included in the entry fee), that offers something new and different to the cocktails we all are used to and have enjoyed, in moderation of course… *cough-cough*. Whereas,  ‘Sleep Won’t Sleep’ is that passionfruit/white-chocolate Martini you know and love! Like a well-blended cocktail, the sound tonight is mixed to perfection! I can hear all sounds sitting comfortably among one another, whilst not overpowering Felix’s vocals at the forefront, and there’s a lot of layers to account for too! (vocals, guitar, bass, keys, drums, DJ/decks, horns and percussion). 

As I find myself becoming pleasantly intoxicated by the tasty mix of sound, the addition of Felix on the bongo’s tapping away swiftly in a “call and response” jam-off with the DJ in the bridge section of ‘Wolves’, and the all-out jam between all band members in the bridge section of ‘Sleep Won’t Sleep’ is nothing short of mesmerizing. That, plus the smooth horns (I honestly have no idea if it’s in-fact trombone, saxophone, trumpet or what?) and the chorus of voices singing the hook lyrics “all night long” in the chorus is rather potent!

Thus far, Felix has been like an entertaining host on an island tour “on the left we have Felix holding the microphone out to the crowd, to sing the hook melody in the bridge section of ‘Call Me Home’. On the right we have the highly fun jazz improv jamming featuring the admittedly sexiest piano solo in the bridge section ‘Fishies’, followed by some incredible high notes ( which shouldn’t be possible for a male over the age of twelve) performed in perfect clarity by Felix in ‘Darkness’, with it’s deeper feeling portraying the mixed feeling of awe, captivation and excitement as one witnesses the historic events of Pompei” This is all while Felix races around the stage, dancing and waving to the crowd when possible like a tour guide who’s way too jolly for the suspiciously sudden vacancy of alcohol onboard the ship… hmmm. Still, Felix’s energy and the way he coordinates his actions with his musical performance is far too well executed for someone intoxicated to pull off… well, smoothly at least!

Despite the fun, tropical fiesta that is this show, the crowd are rather calm? It’s not until Felix revs us up with a clap-along to the building-up beats in the bridge section of ‘Two Shoes’ that people actually dance and jump in the sequential chorus after the build-up! Me on the other hand, I’ve been shamelessly grooving the entire time… ok, maybe slightly shameful. The insane drum solo in the bridge section of ‘Darkness’ probably helped energize the crowd!

We all have a favourite destination on these kinds of tours, and mine is definitely ‘The Chariot’ with it’s rasta grooves in the verses with Felix’s quick rolling vocals that build up to the insanely infectious, lively jazz salsa dance of a chorus! I was already musically quite intoxicated by these tropical fuels, but now? The horn melodies in the chorus with keyboard rhythms bouncing around them and driving beat elevates my slightly shameful dance moves to straight out shameful, no slightness about it. Still, I’m not the only one, and seeing as I can’t see people looking at me, eh!

No but seriously, as Felix told me in our interview before the show, (watch here) music brings us together which I couldn’t agree more! Tonight is a prime example, we’re all here regardless of any language barriers, differences in culture, beliefs or status, all brought together by a mutual love! And when it’s a show like this filled with passion, energy, improvisations, crowd interaction and tantalising tropical aural flavours, you can’t help but let your hair down, forget the stress of normal everyday life and dance without a shred of remorse, ‘cause we’re all doing the same, so it’d be a real shame not to!

I could go on and on, taking you through every single song on this journey, but really, after nineteen songs (sixteen plus a three song encore) I think everyone would agree that like a truly euphoric and memorable holiday, I don’t want it to end and wish it could continue! And even with the absence of the band’s greatest hit ‘Hello’ and the anthemic and kind of sexy swagger of ‘Prophets In The Sky’ which I was hoping to be played, I am far from disappointed! In summary, this is one of the most fun “let your hair down” concerts you could attend whether you’re a jazz fan typically or not!

Thank you for choosing to travel with Keen Eye 4 Concerts, I hope you’ve enjoyed your trip as much as I have and I hope to have you aboard again soon!