Live Review: Billie Eilish, Alice Ivy

Alice Ivy (aka Annika Schmarsel) gets the party started with an energetic set that showcases her multi-tasking skills.

She excitedly bounces around the stage, from one instrument to the next, and whips up a funky mash-up of infectious beats. Schmarsel regularly checks in with the audience. "Are you guys alright?" she asks, out of breath. Her animated gestures and lively performance keep us moving along to her non-stop tunes. "I've got a 7am start tomorrow," Schmarsel tells us and, if this wasn't the case, we feel as if she'd have enough energy in the tank to play all night long.

It's hard to believe that Billie Eilish is only 15 years old. There's a mega-buzz going around about her, which is completely warranted. The girl has serious talent with a musical maturity beyond her years. COPYCAT is the perfect introduction for Eilish's intimate, first-ever live show in Melbourne, demonstrating originality that sets her apart from your average teenage pop artist. Eilish's style and sound are fresh and exciting. In between the trippy beats and grungy atmospherics of the upbeat tracks from her debut EP don't smile at me, she dives into powerful ballads that feature her incredible vocals and original lyrics.

A ukulele is handed to Eilish. "You know what this means," she teases before an acoustic rendition of Drake's Hotline Bling. The sound of a phone rings out and Eilish continues with her soft, sweet falsetto. "Okay, I have a little special thing… my brother is about to sing for y'all!" She leaves the stage for a moment. Finneas O'Connell moves into the spotlight to perform his latest song I'm In Love Without You and, boy, can he sing! The musical-prodigy gene obviously runs strong in their family. His husky vocal tone is stunning and we can all relate to Eilish's comment upon her return: "Doesn't that just make you wanna cry? I do all the time."

The room is completely silent as we soak up a tender new ballad Eilish has been working on. It's a deeply emotional track that channels her personal feelings with feather-light vocals alongside subdued keyboard notes. "Let's get the hype going again!" she shouts and suddenly the pace changes again as she brings up the mood for My Boy. Eilish dances like a little kid but has the heart of an old soul. The striking Ocean Eyes moves us and we're in absolute awe of Eilish's beautiful harmonies. The danceable hit Bellyache makes one hell of an encore. Eilish is already booked to play Laneway Festival next year. Watch out, she's bound to dominate.