Live Review: Safia, Set Mo, Running Touch

It would be difficult to not already be deeply acquainted with Safia. Since the release of their debut studio album Internal earlier this year, they've had radio airplay of just about every song in their impressive arsenal. The Canberrian three-piece have been touring the festival circuit for the past couple of years, honing their skills and sounds, but before this summer season kicks off with a spot at Southbound in December, the boys sold out Metro City for a night of their very best bangers.

The party started early and would continue way into the wee hours, but that didn't stop an impressive crowd packing out Metro Theatre to catch the supporting acts. Running Touch were first to hit the stage and provided an hour of cutting-edge electronic beats fused with some soul-filled vocals and top-level production. The man from Melbourne is definitely one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

Set Mo were up next. The dancey, deep house DJ duo from Sydney made short work of their set, mixing a tracklist of recent beats such as Comfort You and See Right Through Me before peaking with their summer 2015 hit White Dress.

As the night wore on the crowd swelled in size and ferocity, packing Metro City to capacity, with over 2,000 sweaty souls aching for a glimpse of the main act. The interlude between artists' sets perked everyone up to get in the mood for some music, as personified by one particularly enlightened body who commented, "In 60 years we're all going to be old pensioners who know the rap to King Kunta - that's gonna be fucking sick!"

Safia hit the stage just before 11pm and immediately launched into a vocal-driven rendition of one of their latest singles from Internal - My Love is Gone. The stage was bathed in a sea of deep blue LED light and a wave of dry ice, with Ben Woolner displaying the prowess of his very capable set of pipes as five huge screens and a plethora of panel lights fired into life at the back of the stage.

It's more than just a gig, it's a full-blown live show. Impeccable visuals to complement the rhythm and bass in each piece, with subtle nuances towards the lyrical undertones coming together through groovy animations. Highlights included You Are The One, Take Me Over and Counting Sheep, which had an alternate opening during which guitarist Harry Sayers ripped out the opening chords for Stairway To Heaven; much to the joy of a dude on the uppermost balcony, who immediately leaned over the railing to deliver a passionate shred, in sync, on air guitar.

There was a touch of some of their older material such as Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds, and Listen To Soul, Listen To Blues before the boys quietly exited the stage. They then returned in a sea of golden light and intense smoke to immediately rip into an encore featuring a four-minute bassy, building interlude, Go To Waste and arguably their most well-known song, Embracing Me.

Now, an electronic band that can successfully translate their music into a live show is one that will experience indefinite levels of success. Because it isn't as simple as plugging in your Officeworks USB and hitting play, the music still has to be composed in front of that live audience. It's all about the soul and the experience, a trait that fellow Aussies Rufus nail and Safia have followed suit. An advanced electronic drum kit, synths, guitars, bass, and about 15 different microphones all come together for a sophisticated and well-executed live experience. Safia are leaps and bounds ahead of the competition and this live show was absolute bliss for anyone lucky enough to attend.