Live Review: Chet Faker, Roland Tings, GL

Effervescent duo GL open the Convention Centre on this Valentine’s Day evening. So full of candid excitement, they practically bounce about to their own sounds of synth-laden funk and grooves, these Melbourne natives are electric. Graeme Pogson holds down the entrancing beats while Ella Thompson soars with pitch-perfect harmonies, together creating some sublime downright fun.

Roland Tings has gone from strength to strength of late, his infectious stream of house music a breath of fresh air for a wide variety of audiences. Tonight’s support set is no different, with a mixture of well-rehearsed and impromptu pieces strung together with tribal and vintage flavours.

The man bounds onto the stage, poncho-clad and with a too-cool exterior; Chet Faker dazzles the besotted audience. The notably low lights and backing band give the impression of a bigger show than might have been assumed of the independent artist. Chet kicks it off with Cigarettes And Chocolate, showcasing his intense mastery of all things electronic and loop-pedaled, smoothly transitioning from the previous house acts into the smooth, velvety tones we expect from him. Each song has the slow build of the one-man band – from Love And Feeling – “one for the Valentines” – to the bigger tracks, including Gold, To Me and I’m Into You. They feel like individual spectacles, not because they’re overplayed but because of the attention and respect paid to each. Even his rendition of Van Morrison’s Moondance spreads goosebumps amongst the audience. It’s a rare occasion where the supposedly processed sounds of recordings pale in comparison to the live performance.

“If it weren’t for you guys who bought my record and supported my music, I wouldn’t be here,” Chet earnestly shares. “You are the reason I didn’t have to sign my life away to a big recording company, and you are the reason I can make the music I want to make.”

He expresses his deep love for “feeling the vibrations” of live music and urges everyone to put down the iPhones and iPads (yes, they were there too) and indulge in the first-person experience as it happens. For the most part, it works, and everyone stands in their places to yell along to the song that brought Chet to the ears of many, his cover of Blackstreet’s No Diggity.

Finally, it’s the song all are waiting for, and Chet certainly revels in the anticipation. Alone at the keyboard, under a spotlight, he takes his now trademark slow build into the final song, Talk Is Cheap, the favourite of the evening, and gives us a fitting end to an evening of tugged heartstrings and welcome surprises.