Live Review: Civilians, New Brutalists, Ollie Brown

Sydney-based, six-piece indie rock collective Civilians took the stage on Thursday at Brighton Up Bar to launch their debut single, We Were Wrens, which was released earlier this month.

The gorgeous and extremely talented Ollie Brown opened the night, to a relatively small crowd, but owned the stage with the presence of someone playing to a sold-out stadium. It's no wonder this guy was once crowned 'Australia's Best Busker' and has toured with the likes of Bic Runga and The Beach Boys. His stand-out performance was Oh Sam, a song about a girl who had an affair with a married man and according to Brown is a “terrible person”.

Next up were the New Brutalists, who delivered a rather lacklustre performance. It seemed as though nerves got the better of vocalist Claire Price, who for the greater part of their set sang to the floor, making it impossible to understand anything she was singing. It was unfortunate as Price actually has an incredible, soulful voice, so hopefully this was just an off night for her. 

By this point the crowd had steadily increased and the room was almost full, but very few eyes were on the stage for the New Brutalists. The highlight for this reviewer was watching two girls shuffling on the dance floor as if they were at a rave.

By the time Civilians took the stage, the bar was packed and everyone was up and ready to dance to their soulful folk beats. That the guys managed to squeeze the six of them and all of their various instruments onto the tiny stage was no mean feat, but they managed, and they delivered a killer performance.

This unique sextet comes complete with two trombonists, a violin and an electric ukulele (who knew they even existed?!) and bring an incredible energy to the stage in the way they move and engage with the audience. They say their music is “for the people”, and it is no doubt the crowd were swept away by the performance.