Live Review: Vance Joy, #1 Dads, Airling

It’s easy to look swamped on the dark, Palais Theatre stage, but Airling’s voice is powerful enough to fill the cavernous space. All the broody atmospheric synths suit the darkness, with Airling’s sweet pipes adding some sparkling light, particularly on Wasted Pilots.

Clean cut trio #1 Dads bring a strong, dad-joke game to the stage. Making old-mannish comments on the scaffolding surrounding this theatre’s exterior, and the perils of eating fried chicken before a gig, lead singer, guitarist and #1 comedian Tom Iansek hams it up. Muted drum-pad tapping sets the soft, #1 Dads vibe on each and every track. Sister brings some sweet-hearted emotion, while My Rush is nothing but compelling as Iansek strums hard on a pearly guitar that draws you “Down, down to your depths”. Since they’re playing in their hometown, good buddy and fellow Melburnian Ainslie Wills pops out on stage for a surprise cameo on So Soldier.

With beaming grins, Iansek and Wills look just like they’re jamming it out over beers at home. Second special guest Tom Snowdon joins next. Iansek begins the angelic twinkling keys on Return To while Snowdon begins his enchanting vocal. Drawn down deep somewhere ocean-like, Snowdon’s arms wave and twirl about like a dancing swimmer. Iansek then pays tribute to his first sharehouse, with Bill’s Fish Shop for $5 burgers down the road, on last track Camberwell, which features a banging sax solo from multi-talented bassist Angus Rigby.

Man of the night Vance Joy’s name sparkles in lights behind him as he walks on stage to begin the aching From Afar. Marching gently on the spot, lifting his feet up and down to the beat, Joy then belts out Red Eye to “blow out the cobwebs”. He relives Winds Of Change, the first song he ever played live as ‘Jimmy K’ at an open mic night. The beautiful Mess Is Mine gets happy punters clapping and then Joy then stands solo on stage, framed by nine dangling bare globes to perform the haunting All I Ever Wanted and a lovely cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark.

The band comes back for Georgia, which Joy sings out with his powerful, piercing voice. When the ukulele appears, punters cheer for the delightful Riptide, which finally gets dancers up out of their seats. Iansek comes out to join them for a final, spectacular cover of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain. A perfect end to the perfect gig.