Live Review: Soulfest

One look at the Soulfest line-up was enough to raise a lot of doubts as to whether they could actually pull this off.

In a climate where festivals are being cancelled and postponed left and right it seemed like it was just a little too ambitious. However, its time came and against all odds they pulled it off. It was a spring scorcher for the Brisbane leg of Soulfest’s debut and the atmosphere at Riverstage was ecstatic.

From the moment she stepped out Angie Stone was beaming. She seemed genuinely delighted to be here and demonstrated said delight through each impassioned song performed. Without gimmicks on show, Stone and her six-piece band let their killer soulful sound do all the talking, and many had fallen under her spell by the time the Mahogany Soul favourite, Wish I Didn’t Miss You trailed out.

Brisbane’s own Jordan Rakei made the most of his brief time under spotlight of early afternoon sun. The quality of his songwriting and musicality showed the strength of the city’s ever-burgeoning local talent, and the overall sound quality of the secondary stage allowed the potential of these smaller artists to be delivered with full impact. It’s a promising sign of things to come for so early in the day.

Anthony Hamilton. Pic by Aimee Catt.

Although his success in the US has never quite translated to Australian audiences, Musiq Soulchild was still always going to find many new friends among his few long-time devotees in the Soulfest crowd. His sound and performance were solid but a lot of his set was made to feel awkward, as his video clips were playing throughout and his virtual surrogate on the screen mouthed along out of sync. This strange disconnect between visual and sound made it hard to watch from the view of the hill, but one look away and the music took hold again.

After pulling a no-show at both Soulfest Sydney and his headlining gig in the valley on the previous night, the reality of Yasiin Bey – formerly Mos Def – appearing today became the big question. For a brief moment it seemed a looming ominous doubt had begun to weigh on the day, but it all became fuel for the fire that ignited when he actually walked out on stage. He appeared sprightly and bounced his way through Casa Bey and a selection of latter-career material before rewinding with Close Edge, Mathematics and Ms Fat Booty.

Scenes from ‘80s cult kung fu film, The Last Dragon, roll over the LED screen above throughout. Not one to shy away from the controversy of his absences, he jabbed, “You’re rap addicts, festival junkies… You don’t care how I feel,” and then transitioned into Umi Says to bring it all home. This close was a subtle, yet sharp, critique on the apathetic and voyeuristic symptoms attached to the celebrity condition, and his set shone all the brighter for it.

Sydney’s Miracle kept the hype flowing between the big guns with an energised course of hip hop. While his rendition of Kanye’s All Falls Down was an early highlight, songs like Never Gets Old showed his own songwriting is gaining power. He’s come a long way already from his humble beginnings and first taste of success with Better Dayz, his clever take on Pete Murray’s track, and this set was yet another step forward.

It’s no wonder Aloe Blacc has managed to score himself a slot so high up on a bill that reads like a dream team. His sound is as smooth and slick as his image, and his stage presence is no exception to the pattern. He led his eight-piece backing band with the confidence of a veteran, and the groove-laden hooks of I Need A Dollar sank in deep. He put a halt to his rollin’ momentum however to express a great amount of sentiment regarding his responsibilities as a songwriter and the potential for music to influence positive change – certainly a welcome notion, but unfortunately he then delved into the cringeworthy territory of his Avicii collaboration, Wake Me Up.

It’s been more than eight years since Common last played to a Queensland crowd, but with openers Forever Begins and The People, he fast made up for lost time. Next up, gems The Corner, Black Majik and Go! had the crowd going crazy. He kept drawing heavily from the great one’s power, delivering his verse of Kanye’s Get Em High with a slowed, angular precision, and when he dropped the line “that’s why the raw don’t know your name, like Alicia Keys,” his backing vocalist made a wondrous transition into Keys’ You Don’t Know My Name.

Maxwell. Pic by Aimee Catt.

Just when it seemed it couldn’t any better, Yasiin Bey walked on! As the two traded verses and freestyled, the Soulfest crowd was privileged to a rare moment of magic, the kind many dreamed of when first seeing the bill, but didn’t truly think would become a reality. Common saved the deepest sentiment to last with The Light, made all the more touching as flourishes of So Far To Go came melting into the end and signalled one final tribute to J Dilla.

Melbourne’s Nathaniel lit up the little support stage with a booming intro. Songs like You’re Beautiful showed a bit of flair and he’s a well-honed young performer, but he doesn’t do too much more than fill the gap between the legendary imports. Given his success is due in most part to stints on Australian Idol and The X-Factor, one can’t help but feel this model of artistic selection is letting us down and shouldn’t have so much influence on Australian music’s model of success.

It’s been a lifetime of waiting for D’Angelo’s Australian fans. Sure, he was a few minutes late and had put on enough weight that you may not have recognised him from his glamorous Voodoo cover portrait, but when he did arrive he proved he’s still got it where it counts. He teased the crowd from behind a keyboard with Funkadelic’s Miss Lucifer’s Love before finally coming out front and taking complete control. He led a mighty eight-piece band that includes the masterful Pino Palladino on bass as they did devastatingly funky things to Left & Right, Really Love and One Mo’ Gin. It was more than a treat to experience D’Angelo’s guitar-playing, and for those with a real sweet tooth, Lady eventually gave them the real taste of the Brown Sugar they’ve been waiting for. He brought things full circle and returned to the keyboard to delve into the furthest depths with the sublime closer, Untitled (How Does It Feel), his initiates left standing vulnerable in trance-like awe.

It seemed a bit strange to see Maxwell headlining over D’Angelo, given the legendary and mythic status of the latter, but once Maxwell’s show got under way it was easy to see why. He may not ever quite reach the same depths, or heights, but overall his set was flawless from beginning to end. His seven-piece backing band were on form, his stage presence unbelievably smooth, and his overall sound the most perfect of the day. His performance left the enraptured audience grinning with delight.

A heartfelt and enriching experience for all – thanks Soulfest, you did it!