Live Review: Miami Horror, Young Franco, Joy., Cleopold

There’s a mixed crowd lining up outside Woolly Mammoth, reflecting the appeal of the music from this evening’s headliners. Soundcheck is running late, and so by the time the doors are finally open, Cleopold has himself the biggest crowd for an opening act seen in a while. The Melbourne singer-songwriter is sitting upright in front of a Rhodes-style piano, accompanied by a drummer and synth player on either side. There’s an unprepossessing air to his casual performance, as jaunty synth lines wiggle out of the speakers during an instrumental track and his haunting interpretation of Love Like Mine. He finishes up his recent single Down In Flames before humbly taking his leave.

Brisbane singer JOY. is a stark contrast to his level-headed professionalism, walking under the spotlight in an orange cropped tracksuit. Her flippant stage manner between songs detracts from the trope-like intimacy her ethereal style of dreamy electronica seems to be aiming for, and is certainly not aided by her strained and awkward delivery. She waves her hands around like a marionette before moving to a synthesiser during Captured, and struggles to make her voice heard about the three-piece band she’s brought with her. It’s only their third time performing together, suggesting these issues may hopefully be resolved in the future.

It’s approaching midnight when the next Brisbane local takes to the stage, as Young Franco warms the crowd up with a wild and energetic set. The producer’s parents are watching for the first time, and he gives them a show worth remembering. Dressed to impress, he’s wearing a collared shirt and blazer while enthusiastically lip-syncing to every song he delivers. His own remixes get a brief look in as he burns through a playlist of nu-disco and house classics.

Miami Horror take to the stage in floral patterns and animal print to play songs from their sophomore album, which is also the Melbourne band's first as a fully-formed group. The five-piece launch straight into American Dream, as Aaron Shanahan takes singing duties before sharing them with Josh Moriarty on their Caviar-inspired hit, I Look To You. The two singers get chummy during Real Slow as Shanahan starts to really unwind, flailing around the stage during the proceeding Moon Theory and jamming out with the band on Cellophane. An extended version of Love Like Mine sees Cleopold back on the stage, as they segue perfectly into a cover of Todd Terje’s Strandbar, transforming the room into a tropical paradise. Out Of Sight keeps things on a high with its Talking Heads-style vocals, while Sometimes and Holiday see the crowd heavily perspiring. They finish with Forever Ever?, which trainspotters will notice means they nicely bookend the set with the corresponding songs from their recent album.