The opening of this season's Artbar events at the State Gallery kicked off to a full house of devoted Tim Finn fans and art lovers alike. As part of the price of admission, a private showing of the much-vaunted Picasso To Warhol exhibition was available from 6.30pm. This gave patrons at least 45 minutes to take in all of the remarkable artwork on display before support act Lucy Peach adorned the stage. As the local singer began her set, patrons were still arriving. Dressed in a slinky gold dress, gold tights, and an amazing brown fedora hat, the singer came across as somewhat of an old soul. Opening her set by taking the time to thank the 'traditional land owners' of the venue really made this reviewer stand up and pay respect. On acoustic guitar and accompanied by John Wilson on guitar and John Brown on percussion , the tone of Lucy's voice was amazing as she performed singles such as Wax & Wane, Black Haired Boy and her new single Golden Days. All the while, the singer made sure she was engaging with her audience.

The minimal seating throughout the venue resulted in much of the crowd pushing forward and blocking the stage once Tim Finn began his performance. It was evident that much of the audience were those who had followed Tim Finn from his Split Enz and Crowded House days and were close to the singer's recently-celebrated age of 60. Opening his set with People Like Us, on guitar himself and accompanied by Brett Adams also on guitar and Tony Buchen on bass, Finn has a voice that cannot be faulted. Playing classics such as Can I Have Another Piece Of Chocolate Cake, Six Months In A Leaky Boat and Everywhere You Go seemed to keep the crowd happy. After a generous set of 15 songs, Finn closed the show with three iconic numbers, It's Only Natural, Made My Day and sent the audience home with the mellow I Hope I Never. All in all, the concept of the Artbar series – art and music combined – is amazing, as was the opening to this year's series. Look forward to what's to come.