Live Review: Mansionair, PLGRMS

PLGRMS ushered in the Friday afternoon relief with smooth guitar licks and crooning Jeff Buckley-esque vocals over warm electronic beats. Coming off a headline tour themselves, the Sydney duo looked relaxed on stage, led by lead singer Jacob Pearson's comfortable demeanour. The interchangeable instrumental duties catered to their diverse sound also helped to maintain the conversational crowd's interest. Among the many variations in timbre were the buzzing synth basslines in newest release, Gemini, that were swapped out for muted guitar hooks in Pieces. This structure was broken up by Pearson's mid-set solo performance, proving that PLGRMS are not afraid to put the spotlight on their raw musical skills to let them shine - and rightfully so.

Mansionair received a rowdy welcome onto the stage, a sentiment that would only intensify as the night progressed. The Sydney locals started off with soft mellow tracks that built to a naturally forming crescendo, climactically finishing with latest single Easier. The three-piece's extensive light show played a pivotal part in their overall performance. The stage-encompassing haze from the smoke machine created a mystique that placed the trio in the shadows, effectively pushing the music to the forefront. The repetitive flashing of the blinder lights, synchronised in a timely fashion with the vicious banging of the drums, would then bring the band back into focus.

The trio put their songwriting prowess on display, debuting a song called We Could Leave we're told was written just yesterday. Big props must be given to the band's drummer Alex Nicholls. A one-man percussive orchestra, he combined playing drum kit with pads, sophisticated beats and fills, while also managing to include maracas, captivating punters with his expert musicianship. Lead singer Jack Froggatt's beautiful vocoder ballad was a short-yet-lush piece, during which he ferociously howled into the microphone to break up his falsetto. Fan favourites Speak Easy and Hold Me Down were excitedly received while a cover of Jamie xx's Loud Places perfectly suited Froggatt's vocal tone; he effortlessly pulled off a stunning rendition.