Live Review: Meg Mac, Rainy Day Women, Dom Byrne

15 September 2014 | 2:29 pm | Erika Donald

Meg Mac proves she's an unassuming, talented artist on the rise at the Northcote Social Club.

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Local artist Dom Bryne starts off the night with some easy-going, Don McLean-esque tunes encompassing the sweet fusion of guitar and harmonica. He goes on to completely surprise the audience when he loses the guitar, pumps up a heavy, disco-like backing track and raps out some lyrics.

Originally hailing from Perth, four-piece band Rainy Day Women take to the stage next with their soft, groovy rock and pleasant harmonies. The band – who are not woman at all – got their start from triple j Unearthed and impress with a couple of their tunes: Distance and Mrs Jones.

Melbourne-born Meg Mac – born Megan McInerney – enters the stage looking very indie in her high-waisted pleated pants and velvet crop top. After her opening selection she moving on to the popular Turning, during which her strong, expressive voice shines through. McInerney’s fierce, determined attitude during her performances of the songs is offset by her shy, abashed demeanour in the breaks between them. After performing the popular hit Known Better, McInerney admits this is the first time she’s performed when people are singing along with her and is visibly overjoyed with that fact. She is professional enough to absolutely amaze, but fresh enough that she is obviously still revelling in the fact that she is "finally a real musician".

Next, McInerney announces that she is going to execute a song all on her lonesome and uses multiple looped snippets of her own voice – which she records live onstage – to create a unique, multi-layered showcase of her vocals. Grandma’s Hands also highlights McInerney’s ability to utilise her dynamic voice by creating sounds that aren’t quite humming, but are not exactly singing either.

Paying tribute to triple j – having also kicked off her career with Unearthed – McInterney performs her Like A Version cover of Bridges by New Zealand duo Broods. Not surprisingly, McInerney finishes off the night with Roll Up Your Sleeves, admitting that she has no other songs left. Her passionate, heartfelt performance of the hit song gives off an intense, exhilarating vibe that has most of the people in the room singing along with every word.

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Meg Mac is an unassuming, talented artist not to be overlooked. She hypnotises the crowd with her soulful, sultry vocals, which promises a great future as a "real musician".