#1 DadsThe duo from Melbourne who got us started were Slum Sociable. Their electronic layered, jazz-infused sounds were garnished with youthful vocals. Overall the band's sound was in tune but the occasions when they were ever so slightly off were counterpointed by unbelievable stage presence and a tiny bit of mercy from the crowd to acknowledge that they have only been on the scene for six months. Jamiroquai's Virtual Insanity, a great choice for a cover, was followed by their only release thus far, Anyway, which was quite breathtaking live.
As the curtains re-opened and Tom Iansek, the brains behind #1 Dads, took the stage the crowd cheered with anticipation. Iansek and his band began with My Rush, a seamless opener. Halfway through My Rush #1 Dads stopped abruptly due to a technical difficulty. Iansek joked that they would have their set polished by Friday as this was their opening night ahead of five sold-out shows in Sydney. The crowd guzzled down Nominal with enjoyment. In Life, Oh Life, from the first album, Iansek showed his musical prowess by moving from guitar to keyboard. When the delightful Tom Snowden appeared a few wolf whistles were fired off. As Snowden began singing Return To the audience well and truly lost their shit: it was a sliver of aural heaven. Later on in the set Ainslie Wills was invited to the stage for two songs, showing that this tour is filled to the brim with incredible guests. #1 Dads were moving, enthralling and captivating; it was a gig that, no doubt, would be described by some as life-changing.
The finale was, however, the inarguable highlight. FKA Twigs' Two Weeks cover was completely on another level with sounds perfectly layered between Iansek, Wills and Snowden. The audience's minds were totally blown!
