REVIEW: Debut Delivered, Live Festival Was A "Sanitised, Entertainment Extravaganza"

If the music industry is one thing, it's fond of denim jackets. We counted at least four during Delivered, Live on Saturday and there were like 12 people involved.

If it's anything other than loopy for Trucker-cut Levi's, this industry is resilient.

We're sure you don't need telling that COVID-19 closures have devastated Australia's arts communities in recent weeks, shutting down venues and gigs nation-wide. By I Lost My Gig's last count people that rely on music to pay their rent - from artists and production crews right through to booking agents and your humble neighbourhood media outlets - are down $325 million. This is a state of affairs that might continue until September.

In response, people are finding modern solutions to a pressing problem; how to gig in a time where the collective noun for a group of people is a 'crime'. They're taking the show off the road and putting it online - from artists playing intimate sets on their socials to huge community-run Insta-fests.

And now we have Delivered, Live - a live-streamed, socially distant music festival with the ambitious goal of putting on an isolated show that's as good as seeing one in person.

The result was a real trip. The cameraman looked like a Chernobyl extra in his rubber gloves and face shield, songs finished to the scattered applause of a skeleton crew, and nobody came within spitting distance of each other. And for all that, it really drives home just how much we've missed live music.

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Henry Wagons was an ideal opener and an even better host. If Wagons gave drying paint a running commentary we'd tune in. Someone in the comments described him as a mix of Daryl Somers and Dylan Lewis, the exact blend of goofy and engaging needed to pull off his 'host in a vacuum' role.

He also cycled through an astounding collection of sparkly sequinned jackets; solid gold, snow-leopard print, shiny black, etc. It felt like every time the camera cut to him he'd progressed a little more towards his final form - a guitar-slinging disco ball in Cuban heels.

Henry Wagons @ Delivered, Live.

Following an interview between Andy Sanders and Nelly Thomas, Teeny Tiny Stevies were a fun way to continue the evening. They performed songs aimed at kids, on topics from being the boss of one’s own body to asking to pat pets and going to the toilet in the toilet. Like most of the acts, they performed as if it was a real gig, encouraging hand-clapping and thanking the crowd - even though they weren’t in the room and they had no idea if anyone was watching (don’t worry guys, they were).

Teeny Tiny Stevies @ Delivered, Live.

After some ventriloquism from Showko and her extremely cute puppet Ninja Ken, Ali Barter hit the stage with fuzzed-out guitar and quirky melodies. As soon as opener Backseat reached its soaring conclusion, her and the band were unstoppable.

Barter wasn’t quite sure how to interact with her virtual audience, but was charming none the less, and with insanely catchy tracks like Cigarette and Please Stay, you don’t really need to say much to connect with viewers. Ur A Piece Of Shit was huge, Barter’s most energetic track of the night, and had punters commenting “Please stay!” as final song Girlie Bits was reaching its conclusion. Henry Wagons summed it up perfectly - Ali Barter’s music has “depth and sophistication, but is also so damn catchy”.

Ali Barter @ Delivered, Live.

If you laughed during Michael Williams’ set – even just once – it is your obligation to email ichuckledatleastonce@gmail.com and let him know. That announcement was just one of many ways Williams connected with the audience, alongside a sign that spelt out “He’s Awesome” – referring to himself – that was apparently written with his own hair. Maybe Michael Williams is best enjoyed with from a safe distance.

Michael Williams @ Delivered, Live.

“This is very surreal," said Even frontman Ash Naylor. "It’s just good to be playing music, that’s for damn sure." Set to be released on limited edition vinyl soon, Return To Stardust took punters on an epic journey that transformed into a tribute to Bill Withers’ with a bluesy Ain't No Sunshine jam, following the legend’s passing that morning, while Mark The Days and Don’t Wait evoked an overwhelming sense of Aussie indie-rock nostalgia. There’s mention of the group’s 26 years together at the end of their set and it shows, with a tight performance from the Melbourne trio.

Even @ Delivered, Live.

Michelle Brasier called Daniel Andrews “Daddy” and it’s too much. Too weird, too thirsty, and way too close to the bone after weeks of watching the Premier be the ‘tough parent’ each time ScoMo has a pointless waffle. Together, Brasier and Laura Frew hit the Delivered stage dressed in their namesake Double Denim. They sang a song about cheese that completely derailed the comment section and another about dating in your 30s that got very real. If you need us when we’re all allowed outside again just check the front row at their next show.

Double Denim @ Delivered, Live.

We couldn’t have been more impressed with Alex Lahey’s set. The Melbourne artist performed a rare solo set, accompanied by just her acoustic guitar and a friggin’ spectacular ABBA shirt. Lahey’s set was stripped-back and a perfect fit for the show’s midway point. Tracks like Wes Anderson, You Don’t Think You Like People Like Me and Every Day’s The Weekend take on new energy and Lahey’s talking points throughout are witty and concise. Can we get an Alex Lahey-helmed talk show soon, please?

Alex Lahey @ Delivered, Live.

Sami Shah’s been in iso so long it’s turned his hair white, poor bugger. He hit us with poor dye job decisions, racist fractions and a solid argument for wearing trackies to the altar. He also captured the vibe of the night most succinctly, looking straight down the camera and asking, nonplused, "why am I doing crowd work?", then carried right on doing crowd work.

Sami Shah @ Delivered, Live.

CW Stoneking was as incomparable as ever. For 20-something minutes there we were able to pretend we were laid out on some sunny isle instead of marooned on the couch. It’s a shame the Kellys or the Bulls couldn’t join him for an acoustic go at Zombie, but Mama Got The Blues was up there for song of the night. If there’s music to soothe an isolated soul it's Stoneking's wry pick'n'strum.

CW Stoneking @ Delivered, Live.

With fairy lights gaffa-taped to his guitar, Bob Evans made own crowd noise as an intro in the absence of an audience present in the venue and joked that a TV show had been made about one of his poorly attended live shows. He kicked off with a couple of his better-known songs (Don’t You Think It’s Time? and Nowhere Without You) and then boldly went for a couple of unreleased tunes in Always You and Born Yesterday that are set to appear on his upcoming new album.

Bob Evans @ Delivered, Live.

Partway through his set he had to change guitars, joking, “The whole idea is for it to feel like a live gig and if you were to see a Bob Evans gig it would involve some kind of technical difficulty, so I don’t want to deprive you of that.” He finished his set with what he cheekily called a “cover” of Jebediah’s Harpoon, even though that band is his other musical outlet as regular old Kevin Mitchell.

And, just like at a real live show, the viewers were calling for an encore in the comments, chanting for one more song.

As Henry Wagons summed up at the end - “What have we just witnessed? A special, socially distanced, sanitary, sanitised, entertainment extravaganza - Delivered, Live.”

And again reflecting the nature of a gig, Wagons commented that after only one repeat screening, “It’s up in smoke - this is ephemeral. This is right here, right now and then it’s going to be gone forever.”

Let's hope not.

Delivered, Live was produced by Handshake Agency, an affiliate of Handshake Media, owners of this website.