Live Review: Andy Bull

I wriggled my way to near-front of the stage just in time to see him slide discreetly in front of his keyboard, accompanied by two martinis and no band. Andy Bull versus keyboard. He opened his set with a slow synthy ballad, I Need Your Lovin Like Sunshine, to the enjoyment of his female fans. Accompanied by simple lighting and a garish projection of his face behind him, the set up was simple and low key. He later commented on the picture, “I'm Andy Bull in case you didn't know,” laughing, “fuck that guy”.

The intimate setting allowed Bull to connect with the crowd, engaging in good old banter. He revealed he is now a married man, “although most of you probably thought I was gay”. He shared an anecdote about his ex girlfriend to the endless amusement of the girls in front, who continued discussing it all throughout the set. This led into crowd favourite My Street, which got people out of their seats on the fringe and bopping amongst the crowd. For such an understated performer, Bull certainly knows his way around a keyboard. His fingers never missed a key while he continually made eye contact with the crowd, producing a warm and personable vibe.

Later in the set he played a gorgeous stripped down version of his more famous single Dog, featuring Lisa Mitchell. Joking, he told the crowd it was 'no big deal' the song had made into to triple j's Hottest 100.  The show was intimate from the onset, with Andy saying how nice it was to “drink martinis and have a good old time together”.

The mixed crowd, some quite obviously not at The Aviary purely for Andy Bull's performance, seemed to enjoy the show. Their intermittent, and somewhat inconsiderate chatter even ceased temporarily for the obligatory Instagram photo. The highlight of the evening was certainly a Prince cover of If I Was Your Girlfriend. Super funky, with the addition of Bull's unique personal sound. His incredible voice, sometimes drowned out by drums/guitars in live performances, was the focus of this raw and somewhat understated set. Andy Bull ended the night with a heartfelt thank you to the crowd and a promise to be back soon, hopefully with an album and band.