Live Review: Gang of Youths, Holy Holy, Jackie Onassis, Little Sea

In a week supporting all things Australian music, it was great to see a big industry turnout to watch four quality Australian bands perform a teaser of their tunes.

Little Sea, from Sydney’s west, were the first to share their wares. This nine month old band turned heads with their brand of poppy indie rock. Sure to attract the attention of teenage girls, this four-piece was solid and confident on stage, no mean feat when you’re faced with a room of industry types.

Next up were the inner-west hip hop duo Jackie Onassis. Having built a loyal fan base over the past two years, including during their time being members of the ‘One Day’ crew, their performance tonight was a small delectable taste of the smooth tunes that have caught the attention of Australia. Crystal Balling wrapped up their three-song set in typical Jackie O style as Kai Tan bounced around the stage excitedly.

Holy Holy are a band about to soar. Their track, History, is a joy to behold live. Lead singer, Timothy Carroll, absolutely owns the stage and pulls you into a trance with his velvety vocals. Three songs, we’re hooked and then they walk off the stage. If anything, it steels our resolve to catch their full show soon.

The showcase wrapped up with Gang of Youths. Having just been announced as finalists in the Vanda & Young Songwriting Comp with two songs, they’re riding a pulsing wave of euphoria this year with huge support gigs, and there’s little wonder why. Their onstage persona ramps their already impressive tunes up a notch. Lead singer, David Leaupepe, is a firecracker on stage, performing Poison Drum like a man possessed.

There must be something in the water at Sony, because they’ve made some quality choices in the music they’ve represented this year.