Live Review: Courtney Barnett & The Courtney Barnetts, Money For Rope

Tonight is Melbourne's turn to see Courtney Barnett and her band, The Courtney Barnetts, on the final night of their self-described “tiny” Avant Gardener Tour. This is an apt description, given that the entire tour constituted of only three dates. Money For Rope are one of the bands enlisted to play tonight's show with Barnett. Lead singer and guitarist Jules McKenzie remains seated throughout the band's set thanks to the fact that he's still nursing a broken ankle, yet he doesn't let that stop him from rocking out as much as he can. How the chair doesn't end up breaking as a result is anybody's guess.

Courtney Barnett and band – Alex Hamilton, Bones Sloane and Dave Mudie – take to the stage and without further ado launch into Lance Jr, from her excellent EP I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris. Tonight, the songs have a rougher edge to them, but they still work just as effectively. In fact, the following four songs are all from that EP, being Canned Tomatoes (Whole), Scotty Says (a track that she also plays when on stage with the mighty Immigrant Union), Porcelain and Are You Looking After Yourself?. Barnett is, initially, a woman of few words and it isn't really until they get to Avant Gardener, the song she wrote about her anaphylactic episode, that she really opens up. “I try not to talk so we can play more songs,” she states later on. A good example is her explanation of one of the new songs played tonight, which “is called Depreston. It's about Preston, but it's actually about a house in Coburg. I made a mistake, but I wrote it,” she laughs, adding, “so… it's a complete fuck-up.”

Barnett is called back for more. “We don't have any more songs,” she claims, before quickly adding, “Oh, I've gone one song.” She finishes the night off without her band, performing Ode To Odetta, which is as sweet tonight as it is on the EP even though her voice doesn't quite reach those higher notes.

Part of what makes Barnett so endearing is her understated stage presence. There is no attitude – she's just doing what she loves and by default is effortlessly cool. The same goes for her songs. She really is one of Melbourne's best-kept secrets.