Live Review: Husky, Ali Barter

No one cares about state elections tonight at The Hi-Fi, especially once Ali Barter begins.

Blessed with a voice of astonishing sweetness and power, Barter proceeds to bewitch everyone with a performance to remember. Fire At Night gets her sway on behind the synths as the guitar guns and cymbals crash heavily during this slow-burning corker. Switching to guitar, Barter performs the lingering Madurai and then, after sending the band off, she stuns all into silence singing Marigold solo with just her guitar and incredible soprano vocal. Finishing with Community, this smoky little bluesy beauty tops off Barter’s compelling, delightful set.

Twinkling lights highlight the back of the stage like stars as Husky begin with killer harmonies on the wistful, tender Ruckers Hill.

Rocking little Heartbeat gets the happy vibe flowing, while Tidal Wave sees keys player Gideon Preiss pumping a pedal to produce a wild, psychedelic spin. Lead singer/guitarist Husky Gawenda shares a dream he had two nights ago when, during the first chorus of Saint Joan, the audience lifted off the ground and hovered in the air. While not quite re-enacting that miraculous vision, the crowd nonetheless get right into this pacey little number while awake and conscious, feet staying on the floor to dance it out. More frenzied keys rock-outs ensue on stormy track For To Make A Lead Weight Float, with Preiss risking a slipped disc he’s bent so deep over the keyboard, cutting loose like a madman. Barter makes a cameo providing hushed backing vocals on the raw, delicate Mirror, with Preiss providing far gentler accompaniment this time on piano accordion.  

History’s Door, the much-loved ode to moving on from crap relationships, gets the crowd singing along with Gawenda’s liberating lyric, “‘Til you’re freeeeee from him,’”, wailed at the top of his voice. Ending there, dedicated hometown punters make loud, unruly demands for an encore, which coaxes Gawenda to wander out alone leaving tardy bandmates behind, before they catch up to play stripped-back acoustic beauty Hunter. The crowd gets heavily involved in I’m Not Coming Back and then completely all-embracing when Husky makes the call to head down to the dancefloor.

Circled by cheering punters, the lads cover Leonard Cohen’s epic Lover Lover Lover while inciting all to sing along too. There’s nothing quite like a Husky-style dancefloor love-in to top off a gorgeous night of music.