Lisa MitchellZoo Twilights' basic (wild) dogma is “Music Against Wildlife Extinction”, and the Melbourne Zoo do a fine job at balancing live, quality performances from Australian artists, and showing off the diversity of wildlife on site. With the stage just metres away from the famed lion's den, their evening roars are in bizarrely fitting harmony with the more official tunes, even in the case of a performer as delicate as Lisa Mitchell. Providing support are folk duo Georgia Fair, who deliver in spades, with guitarist Ben Riley playing most of the set with Mitchell and band, and Mitchell's boyfriend Jordan Wilson later accompanying the leading lass for an encore, singing Golden Ship, “like they did in the '60s” – reminiscent indeed of an early June and Johnny on stage.
Covering a charming selection of her discography, Mitchell delivers songs from debut album Wonder in the form of Stevie and the tirelessly-played-but-ever-loved Coin Laundry, and more recent odes, The Story Of The Raven And The Mushroom Man, The Present and Spiritus from 2012's Bless This Mess. The herds of families gathered on the grass suggest that people do actually give the proverbial rats arse about animal conservation, as even the fervent Lisa Mitchell fans amongst the crowd walk through the surrounding enclosures engrossed by the beasts within.
Mitchell's performance closes with droves of punters of all ages dancing in the walkways to the merry Oh! Hark!, a beautiful image to watch the sun set to. Zoo Twilights are relaxed affairs, but perfect for the remaining long summery nights of the season, which will no doubt come to a chilly and grinding halt before you can utter the words Eastern Barred Bandicoot.
