Live Review: Lanie Lane Metro Theatre

Nothing closes a tour as grandly as a sold-out home-turf show and Sydney definitely showered some love on Lanie Lane as she neared the end of her Bangity Bang national tour. An eclectic crowd sardined onto stairs and into corners, a number of them saluting Lane's quirky fashion sense with their own '50s style frocks, 'do's and cowboy attire.

It was a night of blues, kicked off by Steve Smyth and his monster vocals. His wild beard and whiskey gravel voice absolutely nailed the scratchy blues style, but it is his honeyed falsetto that grabs you hook, line and sinker. Armed with just his guitar, the sound is suitably sparse as his stories unfold. A passionate performer, his growling and crooning captivated the early crowd and he threw himself around the stage, singing as much away from the mic as into it. The occasional addition of drums fleshed the sound nicely and added an extra bite to his tales of woe and wandering.

The Rubens' cruisy blues went down like a spoonful of sugar. Their melodies were catchy, their beats were steady and they had people singing along to more than one chorus. Obvious Black Keys influences echo through their music, but with less grit and a gentler soul sun-kissed with youth. The organ was a nice layer and frontman Sam Margin had girls swooning in the front row.

Lanie Lane's old school, rockabilly blues was deliciously decorated with her syrupy voice, cajoling her audience with sass and a smirk. Her tone is soulful with a steely twang that is equal parts sweet and dangerous. Her band supported her like a well-oiled machine, with the double bass keeping a rich and earthy grounding as the guitars jangled away.

What Do I Do had the crowd grinding and singing along and her cover of The Black Keys' Gold On The Ceiling upped the tempo. Heartbeat was a beautiful acoustic moment, but the highlight of the night was when two dancers slinked onto the stage to whip each other around in effortless turns, throwing each other over their shoulders and through their legs. It was like something out of Dirty Dancing and the crowd loved it. Her final encore, Don't Cry, was a nice closer and though she doesn't do the best Jabberwocky impersonation, damn the girl can sing!