Live Review: John Butler Trio, Emma Louise

Hordern Pavilion was graced by one of the most talented men in music on Friday night, as John Butler Trio took the stage, taking us on a journey full of passion, heart and emotion.

Opening the night was the super talented and soulful Aussie artist Emma Louise, and as the crowd started to build, they quickly lost themselves to the sounds of songs like Jungle and Boy. Emma Louise's sweet and sultry voice, married with the raw tenacity of the lyrics she sings, quickly whisks you away to another place, triggering memories and unleashing emotions.

When JBT entered the stage there was an immediate surge within the audience to get closer to him. Opening with Used To Get High and Revolution, JBT showed true artistry. You can listen to all of their albums, sing along to all of their songs, but it is impossible to grasp the full magnitude of talent possessed by this band, Butler in particular, until you have seen them live.

We were treated to multiple mind-blowing guitar solos with one highlight being Butler's solo rendition of Ocean. It is like he opens the door to his soul, letting us all in to feel all of his raw emotions when he plays.    

With a set ranging from gut-wrenching ballads like Bullet Girl to the loud and vibrant wails of Devil Woman, there was enough variety to keep the crowd sufficiently amped from start to finish.

And then, if that already wasn't enough, we were treated to an encore consisting of JBT's incredible cover of Pharrell William's song Happy, which sent the entire crowd into fits of hysterics. 

Happy was followed by Livin' In The City and Funky Tonight, which was more than enough to send the entire audience over the edge and leave the crowd of thousands gagging for more.