A perfect summer evening in Melbourne, the perfect setting for a show in the Zoo's twilight gardens; everything about this show, even down to the choice beer selection, is idyllic. Stonefield kick us off bang on 7pm with a very new, very male drummer, who allows previous skinswoman Amy Findlay to showcase her epic set of pipes. Seriously, the girl can wail, and set free from the vagaries of a drum kit she makes an impressive frontwoman. Her sisters prove more than able foils and as they rip through Bad Reality, Yes Master and the obligatory Magic Carpet Ride cover (with Findlay back on drums) the mostly picnic-loving crowd manage to leave the Mersey Valley alone for a second and clap along.
After a brief interval, during which a wandering family of ducks delightfully try to eat our reasonably priced chips, Brooke Addamo, aka Owl Eyes, hits the stage. Launching straight into a new cut taken from her forthcoming album, Nightswim, Addamo is favouring a distinctly more electronic element as she moves into the most crucial stage of her career so far. Previously a contender for Melbourne's manic pixie dream girl mantle, there's a newfound bite inherent in this newer material, pushing Addamo closer to the likes of Jessie Ware than Lisa Mitchell. It suits her well, especially on the album's title track and an almost dubstep-flavoured Breaking. Tzatziki dip goes flying everywhere as Foster The People's Pumped Up Kicks gets a run and by the time she closes up with Raiders, Addamo has upheld her bourgeoning reputation as one of the city's brightest new talents.
