Live Review: Jack Colwell, Brendan Maclean, Embassy, Froyo, Okin Osan

No Dice Paradise is known for picking promising local talent from all parts of the musical spectrum, and last night saw an eclectic night of fun go down at the OAF. It kicked off with Okin Osan, aka Rose Chan, who's been busy of late supporting the likes of Jeremy Neale and March Of The Real Fly. But tonight could be her last show of the year, so she and her band, including sister Rainbow Chan and drummer Tom Hayes, rock out with some gorgeous sunny guitar pop blending Buddy Holly with nerdy pop culture.

Jack Colwell, sharing a double bill with his friend Brendan Maclean (though Maclean mentions the pair did once “hate each other”), draws the biggest crowd and deservedly so. He's got an incredible voice somewhere between Nick Cave and Antony Hegarty, and some wonderful interpretive dance moves, as he swirls his arms rythmically and juts his hips. His band, the Owls, provide solid backing (including some smooth flute) for some powerful moments in songs like his new single, Far From View, and the rousing, hand-clapping Picture Window.

But the overall showmanship award goes to Brendan Maclean. With his heart proudly on his sequined sleeve, he not only fills his set with a dazzling array of costumes (from a pink onesie to a leather dress), but also a bubbly transgender woman subjected to shenanigans involving balloons, Glad Wrap and nakedness, and hilarious dance moves – all with boundless energy and a deadpan expression. He also crafts flawless, honest pop songs. Take Stupid – “Tell me, who is invited?/So fucking delighted/To see all the boys that you see/Tell me, why don't I fight it?/What does that say about me?” Or his unexpectedly touching renditions of Lady Gaga on piano and his 2012 debut single, Only Only, on ukulele. With Colwell play-acting as his bored DJ (sometimes seemingly rendering his two keyboard/synth-players redundant), Maclean gets weird and warms hearts all at once.

Froyo have a tough act to follow, by keyboardist Michael Chow's own admissions – he's had a few drinks to calm his nerves, he jokes – but they nevertheless deliver some pretty sweet synth pop that the slightly thinning crowd can dance to, including a well received cover of M83's Midnight City. Embassy nods to '90s hip hop, '60s soul and a dash of jazz, while managing to sound like the future as well. It's midnight by the time producer Edward Lyons kicks off tonight's one-man set, with his latest release, a haunting, echoey remix of Daughter's gut-wrenching Love. His skills aren't limited to pressing buttons either as he knocks out solo improvisations on a mini keyboard. Throwing Banks' Warm Water into the mix is apt, not least for the lyrics “You don't know my name yet” – it's not his headline tonight but Embassy is winning fans one gig at a time.