Live Review: Something For Kate, Courtney Barnett

It's a brisk winter's evening, and wandering through Melbourne streets amid footy goers, happy hour enjoyers and late night workers showcases everything this town has to offer. Through the foyer of the regal Forum Theatre punters flow, some stopping to check out the merch desk, most making haste to the stage where local lass Courtney Barnett is about to perform.

Opening with her single, Lance Jr, it's clear from the outset that Barnett is not going to be content just playing background music while Something For Kate fans drink beer and converse. She is unafraid to extend some of her more well-known songs with impressive guitar solos from lead man Dan Luscombe, and plays for nearly a full hour. The sound quality is muddy at times, but by the time she finishes with her critically-acclaimed History Eraser, it's clear that Ms Barnett is here for the long haul.

After a change of location from the Forum's booths to the middle of the sold-out crowd (tonight's is the first of three Melbourne shows, but the only one to be performed in the resplendent Forum), it's all eyes on stage for hometown heroes Something For Kate. And what an opening; barely saying a word, the band rip straight into a song many thought they'd never play, Captain (Million Miles an Hour). Following that up with Hallways, from possibly the greatest Australian album of the past 20 years, Beautiful Sharks, it's a massive opening one-two that sets up an amazing and intimate night of music.

Although this tour has been billed the Star-Crossed Cities tour, taking its name from the opening track of SFK's latest album, Star-Crossed Citizens, the band are not holding back, playing songs from their unparalleled back catalogue. Whatever You Want, Monsters, The Astronaut and Anarchitect all go down a massive treat with an audience who have grown old with the band across their career, and newer tracks, like Miracle Cure and their cover of the Calvin Harris/Florence Welch banger, Sweet Nothing, manage to hold their own amongst the classics.

Clint Hyndman hits his skins with as much power as he ever has, Steph Ashworth spends more time facing the crowd than she used to (fanboys across the country rejoice!) and Paul Dempsey's freshly-washed hair commands the attention of all. When he plays Strategy on acoustic guitar, accompanied by piano, there is not a dry eye or un-goosebumped arm in the place.

The band does the obligatory encore, finishing with Déjà Vu and the rambunctious Electricity, the near-two hour set once again showing that Something for Kate can truly bring it.