Live Review: Megan Washington

At The Basement last night, Brisbane singer-songwriter Megan Washington chose songs “like a lucky dip” from her list of 40 that she could play solo.  The set thus leaned heavily towards her debut record, 2010’s I Believe You Liar, and follow-up EP 2011’s Insomnia. It was after all the Tangents tour – there should’ve been no expectation that she play singles My Heart Is A Wheel and Who Are You and so she didn’t. The only songs from last year’s There There to get a look in were a restrained Limitless, the subdued To Or Not Let Go and the wrenching Begin Again.

It was a set of unsurprising intimacy, sly glances shared between Washo and her audience (and her lone guitarist, who appeared to add subtle texture to the middle part of the set) as she sat behind a keyboard under a single spotlight. The audience crowded around, cross-legged on the floor, looking up at Washington and rarely turning their eyes away from her - not even to whisper something awed to the person beside them. This kind of stripped back setting put the onus entirely on Washington’s powerful voice and honest lyrics, standing in stark contrast to recent festival sets that’ve been more attuned to dancing, Washington the effervescent showman. Washington is a born storyteller, taking delight in telling a story about a gorilla and his human love interest (now a set staple in low-lit rooms such as these), and being playful with the crowd, skipping the encore because she doesn’t like the idea of it: “Just imagine that I left the stage and now I’m back.”

Songs like Skeleton Key and Sentimental Education from Insomnia brought with them the most emotional gravitas, while How To Tame Lions remains a cheeky crowd favourite. Lover/Soldier, about a long-distance relationship, and Washington’s “will in a song” Underground, which she played on guitar, deservedly had the crowd muted and teary. Washo remains one of the gems in Australian indie-pop’s crown.