Live Review: City & Colour, Little May

Coming on stage to a rocking Dire Straits intro, Little May suddenly change their course into an atmospheric, cymbal-driven slow burner. We soon discover slow burners are their specialty. The six-piece (usually a trio) fronted by Hannah Field are electrically charged, Field's voice raspy but strong, though slightly drowned out by the wall of sound they've created. Their drum lines are intricate, impressive and super powerful, providing a steady pulse to the band's big sound — possible only with an incredible drummer such as theirs. Songs like Home and Sinks are doused in reverb and thick harmonies, the latter ethereal in its twangy notes and tambourine beat, laden over the girls' three folk-country voices. My Oh My is a rollicking, hypnotic song and a set highlight.

As the rowdy The Ballad Of The Three Amigos intro (yes, from the movie) plays, Dallas Green and the four new members of his freshly minted band take the stage. Kicking off with Thirst, we notice that for once Green is not centre stage, instead anchored at his microphone stage left leaving the rest of the band fully visible. In his trademark plaid shirt and topped with the outback fedora hat we've come to know so well, the band move wordlessly into Northern Blues, backlit with LED stars in red and blue. Though Green's forlorn, honeyed voice is the same as always, tonight's show is a whole other City & Colour experience — the band lend backing vocals, loud bass lines and an altogether stronger, confident presence to Green's catalogue. Songs like The Lonely Life, Killing Time, Mizzy C, Waiting… and Sleeping Sickness all get an airing, the quintet creating a lush haven of blues rock all led by the soaring vocal strides of Green. Our seated section appears very tame though — there's not a singing mouth in sight, but the enthusiastic voices of the GA floor carry upwards and induce shivers during songs like Lover Come Back.

Green prefaces an extremely slowed down (and beautiful) Hello I'm In Delaware by saying, "It's countries like Australia that taught me how to deal with what this song is about." This padded out treatment of the song is almost a religious experience — we're enthralled. The lighting guy is on fire tonight too; all night we're treated to perfectly timed spotlights during quick solos, a treasure trove of colours from all across the spectrum and twinkling lights amidst it all. 

The new record's epic first single Woman surfaces near the end of the set, hazy and hallucinogenic, like something you'd hear in your head as you're lost, disconcerted and spiralling into madness. Emerging alone for the encore, Green profusely thanks the crowd and quietly launches into an understated Comin' Home — "part of me wants to sing this with you guys, what do you think?" — which surprisingly ends with the chorus from Alexisonfire's This Could Be Anywhere In The World, a rare homage to Green's hardcore band past. Classics Body In A Box and The Girl are both dished out, both lovely as ever, with the latter turning into a bluegrass stomper with the rest of the band. City & Colour are the best they've ever been.