Live Review: Gold Fusion

It was 41 degrees when the all-star Gold Fusion team kicked off in Adelaide's Published Arthouse and the air was balmy. If the punters weren't either slipping off a leather sofa or guzzling down whatever frothies they could find, they were admiring the Gold Fusion line-up. Boasting an eclectic troop of local rock dogs like the raucous Sincerely, Grizzly, and ethereal interstate electronica (Oscar Key Sung you will always be the man), Gold Fusion wound itself across ten hours, 13 bands and six DJs. 

Local indie-electronic sweetheart Jesse Davidson showed up to his set wearing a pair of odd socks, ready to play his texturally beautiful pop set. Bathed in aqua lighting and ethereal guitars, the audience admired songs like Flaws and Darling from the fringes of the room. Davidson attempted to use the space, but it seemed increasingly unlikely with each strum. The 30-something crowd were pooled sporadically around the large, loft-styled hall — the sound system echoed each player making them sound garbled — and there were maybe only 30 punters to soak it all up. But Davidson persevered through the sweat and the adverse conditions to deliver the sharp tones and saccharine tunes that made us crazy about him in the first place.

Leather-clad Koral & The Goodbye Horses then took the stage and beat the heat. Led by the staunch Koral Chandler, the dark, country-rock quintet brought enough energy to power a small hospital. This was a big set: it forced the wall dwellers onto the dancefloor and the perennial bar leaches to join the party. While Koral & The Goodbye Horses charmed us with Nick Cave-style smoulders, tracks like Pony (nocturne for a night drive) and Been Down resounded with sincerity and oozed country. There was slow dancing, spills and slips by the audience as they chimed to songs about Chandler's little sister, a whiskey-infused cover and a new, unheard song. This band's tenderness was in the guitar solos and enunciated chops, but their distilled rock rippled behind every riff.

Pop-rock queen Ali Barter was next to the plate and she swung through tracks like Girlie Bits, Hypercolour and Run You Down with pure precision. The choir girl turned "ratbag" (also drowning in black leather) commanded her set with careful pronunciation and charisma. After she told us, "We drove eight hours from Melbourne to be here today," there was a slow, apologetic groan from the pool of punters up front. But this was remedied by Far Away as both the Gold Fusioners and Barter grooved through her therapeutic textures.

Then I Know Leopard brought their indie-pop and celestial sounds to the stage. Saccharine, '70s-inspired and catchy, I Know Leopard ran through tracks like Hold This Tight and Close My Eyes, while the intimate crowd erupted into ballroom dancing, lip-syncing and maximum elation. There were shots flying, drinks spilling and a dancefloor floundering on itself as the strings repeatedly crescendoed.

After absolutely killing it with The Avalanches at Falls Festival, Oscar Key Sung brought his live analogue synth set-up to Gold Fusion as the final act of the night. Incorporating a record player beside a fountain of knobs and wires, his equipment was lit. His voice was even better. Key Sung added flourishes to every lyric and dipped each pitch in a honey-coated sensuality. He made everyone want to be his partner. In between bangers like Brush and Altruism, Key Sung coasted on the live sounds, but spiced them up with jungle samples and chopped'n'screwed loops. He is also a slick dancer. As he charmed us with cheeky smiles, telling punters, "It would be more fun if everyone danced," the don dropped juicy beats and bodacious shimmies.

The most disappointing aspect of Key Sung's performance wasn't his act itself, but the event's programming. It seemed the DJ skipped out and was not available to spin before Key Sung, leaving the hall with no music.