Live Review: Banoffee, Yoke

Sydney synth-pop trio, Yoke opened to a dark and smoky Danceteria at Goodgod on Saturday.

Heralding the coming of Melbourne’s Banoffee, they kicked the night off with some chill tunes, big bass and synth reminiscent of a John Hughes soundtrack. Playing harmonious tracks such as Burden, there’s a reason why these guys have an ever-increasing fan base.

The crowd were swaying along to ‘80s Beach House electro-pop vibes from the get-go. The high-pitched synth accompanied by  dreamy vocals of frontman, Kyle Linahan, added to the intimate feel, typical of the back room hole-in-the-wall in Sydney’s CBD.

The main event (and legit awesome pie flavour), Banoffee, left the crowd feeling full. Serving up Grimes-y beats and body-shaking bass, this Melbourne gal is a rising star on the scene, singing about the mundane happenings of everyday life, and the turbulence of love turned sour with refreshingly raw simplicity.

Banoffee makes honest what could easily be self-indulgent. She was also repping some normcore threads,  adding to her cool yet down-to-earth aura as she bantered with the crowd. Playing tunes such as Ninja, Reign Down and Got It, she demonstrated a mastery of her tools, blending syncopated beats, layered synth and textured vocals. Her howling yet pure vocals coupled with #datbass were highly addictive – so expect more from this talented artist.

The show was unexpectedly enjoyable. After dreading that it would just be a drug-induced electro nightmare, Yoke and Banoffee offered up sophisticated, palatable sets, and turned out to be exactly what you need on a Saturday night. A slice of this pie is best enjoyed with a cold vodka lime and soda.