Live Review: Broods, Mansionair

The crowd gathered around the stage apprehensively waiting for Sydney electronic duo Mansionair to open for New Zealand duo Broods.

Sharing the same record label as pop sensation Lorde, comparisons can be drawn between the two kiwi acts. With strong, almost husky vocals coming from lead singer Georgia Nott and a strong electronic backbeat built up by Caleb Nott on the keys, the siblings that are Broods managed to carry off their performance as being something of their own in an aura of uniqueness and consistency.

Mansionair’s set eased the crowd into the festive mood by belting out some really soulful tracks, with the most memorable tracks being played from their Hold Me Down EP. Everything about their presence on stage reflected in their music. Hold Me Down brought a gentle drumbeat that carried the soulful vocals of Jack Frogatt succinctly across the venue bringing a soft, rhythmic lull amongst the punters. Second Night pulled their set into a greater realm of emotion with a reverb that added smoothness to their instrumentation, allowing punters to once again listen to their tracks with ease.

The crowd became considerably more condensed and onlookers had now also appeared above to catch a glimpse of the visual spectacle that is Broods.

Erupting onto the stage in an eclectic flurry of stage lighting and smoke machine, Broods dove into their set with Never Gonna Change. Georgia Nott constantly strayed away from the mic stand in an effort to guide the crowd on how to move to their music, while brother Caleb helped keep up the beats to maintain the momentum of their performance. Evergreen brought the pace down into a slow, techno ballad that featured an epic chorus, allowing Georgia’s vocals to stretch across the venue. Taking You There brought the gig down to a folky level with the inclusion of an acoustic guitar and soft minimal drum beats.  Halfway through their set they played popular hit, Bridges, which, with its distinct airy feel and lavishly enticing beats, made the crowd languorous within the song’s infectious hooks and drum beats.

Broods finished off with an encore that was topped off with Mother & Father. A clash of addictive synth and progressive drumbeats, it was an anthem that made the perfect finale track to seal off an awesome night with an addictive band.