Live Review: Saskwatch, The Middle Names, Jim Lawrie - Jive

Thanks to the release of their highly acclaimed and anticipated sophomore album, Melbournites Saskwatch were brought to a sold out Jive bar for the seventh stop on their Nose Dive tour.

Fellow Melbourne lad Jim Lawrie joined them, kicking off the evening with a little help from Saskwatch guitarist Rob Muinos, which put an edge on his relaxing acoustic sound. Lawrie lightened the mood in the room by dubbing one song Labor Party. “It's the lesser of evil; it's still a shit song, but it's the best of the shit songs,” he said.

Tasmania's The Middle Names followed, charming the crowd with their indie pop rock sound; think The Doors meets Hunters & Collectors meets The Jungle Giants. It might be a strange combination, but when you put it all together, it works. For their first ever gig in Adelaide, the band tore through an impressive set and undoubtedly earned some new fans.

After a long break, the much anticipated Saskwatch filed onto the stage to Tom Jones' It's Not Unusual and opened with instrumental The Delinquent, before launching into the first track on their new album, Give Me A Reason. The cheerful yet smooth and soulful vocals of leading lady Nkechi Anele had the crowd captivated from the outset.

After several tracks from Nosedive and a cover of Little Red's Coca Cola, Anele welcomed to the stage a punter by the name of Ray, who was chosen to sing a song to his partner. When the couple got onstage, Ray leaned down on one knee and proposed to a deafening cheer from the audience. After congratulating the newly engaged couple, the band launched into the very fitting Now That We're Alone.

The rest of their set saw the floor of the venue slowly turn into more of a swing dance hall, and before everyone knew it it was just about time to wrap up the evening. The nine-piece ended on crowd favourite Hands, but not before returning to the stage for a quick encore.

The crowd (and band) turned it up a notch to close out the night with an incredible, soulful rendition of Jagwar Ma's Let Her Go. Saskwatch is a band that needs to be seen live to be truly appreciated. Their Nose Dive tour and accompanying album shows just why they're one of the biggest and fastest growing names in Australian music, with a reach spanning across all lifestyles and ages, from barely-legals to baldies.