SAFIADraped in an oversized KISS T-shirt, East steps on stage and entrances us with her sublime, soulful vocals. The wunderkind impresses with style and vocal maturity; her fresh, youthful personality is as bouncy as the curls that dangle from her long fringe. East and her backing band create music that’s full of life and bursting with electro-pop hooks. Confessing that she’s not the best guitarist in the world, East puts in a good effort for a few acoustic renditions of yet-to-be released tracks on which her voice shines. A cover of Childish Gambino’s Sober is a great fit for East and one she’s comfortable performing without raps. East’s lead single Old Age sums her up perfectly as an artist, showcasing exceptional talent and wisdom beyond her years.
The curtain opens and blue light engulfs the stage as SAFIA draws us in with an opening electronic instrumental that quickly builds momentum to become a climactic primal dance beat. The trio push the limits with their transcending remix of The Aston Shuffle’s Tear It Down and give a shout-out to collaborators Peking Duk as they perform the powerhouse hit Take Me Over. This is the second of only two shows to launch SAFIA’s latest track Counting Sheep and we’re lucky enough to hear some new unreleased tunes being road tested for the first time. Admitting that they did also play these at their Sydney show last week, SAFIA then assure us we are a much better crowd. The unreleased tracks highlight lead singer Ben Woolner’s diverse vocal range, which incorporates just the right amount of falsetto and rasp. This show also launches The Venue Collective’s team-up with Warner Music blog Cool Accidents (The Cool Accidents Singles Club) and fans excitedly collect an exclusive, free 7” vinyl from the merch desk. We jump along to make Woolner feel better about his white-boy dancing skills during Home and a track penned as their next single, Embracing Me, lifts us up. The pace slows down for a cover of James Vincent McMorrow’s Cavalier that shows off the group’s versatility and superbly crafted light and shade.
Over the past year SAFIA have come a long way and they take a moment to reflect on the last time they played this venue, as a support act. This time around they’re honoured and overwhelmed to be playing a sold-out headline show. With their unique style of indie-electro pop, SAFIA create an incredible live atmosphere from start to finish and leave a lasting impression.
