BroodsIt was never going to be an easy feat for East to kick-start The Zoo’s sparse crowd into action, but she fully commits herself to the show and is rewarded with the attention of a small handful of receptive punters.
Although brimming with confidence, her performance comes off as a little contrived and she offers an otherwise hit-and-miss set. It is easy to see that she’s still developing and growing as a musician, but for a fresh face on the scene that’s no bad thing.
Gradually, people began to fill up the room, the lights are dimmed and from the darkness emerges an unannounced Jarryd James. The local singer has an inconspicuous stage-presence, but smoothly eases the crowd into a set filled with silky, well-matured and refreshingly unique sounds. His unsuspected and impressive vocal range, coupled with a humble persona wins over the now bustling space. The half-hour set feels like it is over far too quickly, and for the duration it is easy to get lost in his soulful tunes and forget that there is still the headliner to come.
The Nelson, NZ-based brother-sister duo Broods take to the stage right on time, looking the part and opening strongly with Never Gonna Change. The textured stylings of Georgia Nott’s vocals blend flawlessly with the rich electronic soundscape crafted by her brother, Caleb. She seems genuine in thanking the sold out crowd for the warm reception, saying she feels right at home – “that’s the cool thing about Australia – half of New Zealand live here,” she adds in jest.
"A celebration of all things synth-pop."
Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter
From there, the band never really skip a beat and entertain the crowd with a selection of known favourites and previously unheard tracks, due for release on their upcoming LP, Evergreen. An introspective rendition of Empire Of The Sun’s We Are The People lulls the audience into a meditative state before they drop into Bridges, a celebration of all things synth-pop. Recognised as their standout single, the song is an excellently crafted, organic offering that truly showcases what the twosome is capable of. Predictably, this was one of the many high points from a well-polished set that was full of them.
The siblings close with a bang by way of their single Mother & Father, which actually out-did the clinically planned encore. Overall, it was a triumphant night for a band still in the beginnings of their career. Broods have a mesmerising way of performing and effortlessly held the crowd in the palms of their hands for the duration of the show. Armed with a collection of catchy-but-unpredictable songs, Broods are quite remarkable and stand out strongly amidst an array of up-and-coming pop-infused indie/electronic outfits.
