Live Review: CW Stoneking, Kira Puru

It was to an already packed-out cathedral that Kira Puru assumed the spotlight. Armed simply with an electric guitar, the bluesy songstress took full advantage of the space, belting out powerful and soulful songs that showed off her vocal prowess.

Her work with The Bruise was garage-driven dream-pop, yet stripped bare we see her songs for the objects of beauty they really are. Even if all we were given was the songs, this would be a great performance, but Puru's charming and charismatic stage presence made everything all the more bewitching.

Whether grooving on relaxing Caribbean jams, bluesy numbers or traditional country ditties, Stoneking's commitment to idea was only matched by his talent.

The achingly cool vibe continued and was amplified when CW Stoneking took to the stage. This was the man's first solo show, sans primitive horn orchestra, since 2005 – and as soon as he started playing it was clear how criminally long a wait this was. As anyone who knows the man will attest, with your eyes closed, you're simply back in 1928 swamp hokum blues territory, and add this to the ambience and echoes of a beautiful church and the result is electric. Switching between electric guitar, lap steel and banjo, Stoneking was just unable to hide his love of performing behind the old bluesman persona. Stripped-back renditions of classics like Love Me Or Die and Jungle Blues were suitably gorgeous and well received by the crowd, yet it was the smattering of new tunes that really impressed.
What could be misconstrued as a one trick idea, that of an old Americana blues man by way of Australia, actually turns out to simply be a cipher for delivering a multitude of emotions. Whether grooving on relaxing Caribbean jams, bluesy numbers or traditional country ditties, Stoneking's commitment to idea was only matched by his talent.