REVIEW: Could ABC's New Live Music Show Fill The 'Recovery' Void? We Think So

We don’t know about you, but here at The Music there’s a Recovery-sized hole in our heart that we never thought would be filled. 

We had our hopes squashed earlier in the year when the ABC shut down calls for a revival of the show but were cautiously optimistic when we learnt there were plans to launch a brand new program dubbed The Set. 

With the premiere tomorrow night at 9.30pm, we got curious. With our ever-changing consumption habits, its necessity had us questioning the importance of live music on TV in 2018. Can you really capture that live music elation - that people voted was better than sex - in a neat 30-minute package? Do audiences even consume music in this format anymore?

There may be an overabundance of talent shows and music-themed reality TV beamed into our living rooms, but really there’s a whole lot of nothing when it comes to original programming featuring acts performing their own songs.

"There’s no point in it masquerading as anything other than what it is; a unique platform to bring Aussie artists to the living room."

Well Simon Cowell be damned, because if you head out to your mailbox, you’ll find an invitation to a house party with the aim of filling that void. And that is exactly what it is. A 30-minute whirlwind of a house party, hosted by triple j’s Dylan Alcott and Linda Marigliano that hooks you in from the first second in true “wham bam thank you mam” style. 

It all kicks off with a house tour on speed through the kitchen where we meet this week’s guests Wafia and Baker Boy before headliner Vera Blue gets the live music rolling in the backyard. And that’s just minute one. 

The rest of the show follows a similar format. There’s no point in it masquerading as anything other than what it is; a unique platform to bring Aussie artists to the living room.

We get original tunes from Vera Blue and her chosen guests Wafia and Baker Boy. There’s snacks and cocktails courtesy of Chef Radha. An adorable moment of “Ringtail Poss Toss” with Shubha. A blue-paint splattered throwback to the iconic Art Attack in “Alcott Attack”. And DJ Shaad keeping the 250-strong audience grooving away. But the real pinnacle of the show is when it all comes together at the end for ‘The Set Piece’; a collaborative moment bringing the three artists on stage together for a cover of their choosing. Don't worry, you won’t get any spoilers here though.

"It’s a fresh take...relevant and engaging."

In an age of Zuckerberg, YouTube and an ever-growing list of outlets offering original video content, the cynic in us says it’s no wonder that critics and bigwigs alike have blatantly come out to say 'music on television just does not work'.  

In reality though, people just don’t want to watch shit TV. And The Set is certainly not that. It’s a fresh take on a desperately needed outlet that feeds off the home-grown Aussie sustenance that keeps triple j relevant and engaging in a time where streaming reigns supreme. 

Because of its format we know people will be watching closely and judging swiftly and time will tell whether it will come to feel contrived after a while. But hey, we’ve all been to a dud house party before. It’s never stopped us from turning up the next week with a case of beer, ready to do it all again. And if the ABC are providing drinks and finger food, we think there’s a good chance there's going to be a whole lot of people ticking yes on their RSVP.  

The Set premieres Wed 31 Oct 9.30pm on ABC. Check out a sneak peek of it below.