Live Review: Abbe May, Mathas, Kucka, DJ Rex Monsoon

There was certainly something special about last Saturday night at The Bakery. It was warm and anticipation was rife amongst the early punters, of which there were many. DJ Rex Monsoon warmed up the early birds with some fresh, groovy beats while those standing in the courtyard admired Abbe May's underwear merch at the desk. After a while, Kucka emerged, tonight as a two-piece, and worked us into a sway with their intricate glitches and electronic sounds. Vocalist Laura Jane Lowther enticed people into the venue from outside with her hypnotically glorious vocal delivery, and while I recognised the songs played, I'm desperately hoping I can find them online somewhere soon, because Kucka's tunes just seem to be getting better as time goes on. Keep an eye on them.

It seemed that Monsoon would be entertaining us throughout the intervals between bands too, which was a great way to keep the enthusiasm and good vibes at premium levels. By the time Mathas took to the stage, we were well and truly in the zone and ready to nod our heads along to his catchy blend of hip hop. The guy has outstanding charisma and charm and, unsurprisingly, it's incredibly easy to enjoy his work. His songs are about personal experiences, yet he's able to utilise his lyrical ability to widen the scope so that the audience can nod and enjoy the occasional laugh, able to relate to what he sings about. Doctorshopping was a particular standout, as was Nourishment, where Abbe May joined him on stage and they performed as a duo. It was a great set to watch.

Finally, it was time for the main event in Abbe May's performance, and all of a sudden the Bakery's confines were bulging at the seams as hordes of patrons swarmed inside to get a good spot. May began the performance with kick-starter, Want Want Want, before upping the ante even further with one of her biggest hits yet: Sex Tourettes. The tune sounded absolutely fantastic live – the energy in the room was electric as May commanded the stage with authority and grace. The majority of her set comprised songs from her recent album, Kiss My Apocolypse, but she finished off with a popular tune from her earlier release in Mammalian Locomotion and finally with the popular Like A Version cover of Ginuwine's Pony. The crowd were ecstatic with her performance and she rounded off what was a fantastic night of homegrown live music exceptionally.