Live Review: The Preatures

The Sydney Opera House has played host to a string of stellar performances this fortnight under the Vivid LIVE banner. The Preatures were the latest act to make their mark in a surprise one-off show last night, where they unveiled their highly-anticipated second album, Girlhood.

Ever-fierce frontwoman Isabella 'Izzi' Manfredi strutted on stage in an enviable pair of black patent leather flared pants, with the microphone cable slung around her shoulders and led us through the new record from front to back. First-time listeners voted with their hands, clapping and cheering, as The Preatures took us through a versatile direction, with dreamy ballads The First Night and Magick, vintage rock lead single Girlhood and the hip-shaking, retro number Mess It Up.

The new material's toned down nature also translated to Manfredi's performance style. There were less floor-crawling, water-throwing and head-thrashing stage antics reminiscent of the Blue Planet Eyes tours, and more magnetic and reflective moments spent piano-side. As Manfredi sat at her keyboard, lapping up the stage lights and crooning her melodies, she described the record as "the hardest and best thing I've ever done".

The Preatures were not alone on stage. Aboriginal/Irish actor and poet, Richard Green, opened with an acoustic spoken word song titled Ebony, and the Alexandria Park Community School Children's Choir lent their sweet vocal chords to the band for one tune.

"Please indulge us," Manfredi amusingly asked when forewarning the audience of an encore. The Sydney rockers promptly returned to play some of the "golden oldies" from their chart-topping debut album, like Ordinary and Somebody's Talking. Manfredi began slinging her signature grit, prowling around the stage and backbending to the floor.

In the crowd was former bandmate Gideon Bensen, who parted ways with The Preatures last year to pursue a solo career. The band's set-closer and breakthrough hit song Is This How You Feel? was endearingly dedicated to Bensen, who leapt up out of his seat to join fans in a nostalgic boogie and end the night on a high.