Live Review: Tim Rogers, Moana

Fremantle's Hidden Treasures were certainly a great find for those punters who wished to shelter from the cold and rain. Already filled to capacity, Navy Club was packed with onlookers wishing to catch a glimpse of indie-rock stalwart Tim Rogers and the theatrical, quirky antics of support act Moana. Hosted in a medium-sized function room strewn with tables, chairs and a bar, it was quite a squeeze to see the main stage. However the vibe being pressed on by the performances helped alleviate the shortcomings of the venue, which ultimately gave way to a decent night.

Moana's stage presence felt to be slightly more stripped back than her usual performances. Normally supported by a large-ish backing band, at the start of the set Moana was merely accompanied by one flutist sharply stabbing in melodic pieces throughout the verses. Later on Moana was supported by a bassist she simply dubbed 'Austin Powers'. His bass lines definitely did have some mojo; groovy baby. Overtly otherworldly and strongly programmatic, as an audience member if you didn't get the narrative of any of Moana's song lyrics you still felt you were taken on a journey, even if you were sitting cross-legged and mildly beer-stained in a Fremantle RSL club.

There was a longish wait and fervent anticipation for Tim Rogers felt by the crowd; announced in by a Hidden Treasures announcer it was obvious he was a significant act. Clad in an old-fashioned suit, flared up trousers and topped off with a cowboy hat, Rogers meant business — it wouldn't have been surprising if he actually went into a spaghetti western duel with the soundman, as his annoyance with the minor imperfections (unnoticed by the audience) wer e strewn throughout the set.

Supported by his You Am I bandmate Davey Lane, who looked like a long-lost sibling of the Gallagher brothers, it was a great, earthy set, allowing the audience to bear witness to a slightly unplugged rendition of some of his songs. Cracking open his set with Heavy Heart, it more or less set the stage for the rest of his set — emotional, acoustic rock'n'roll, produced for those with break-ups in mind. From the small crowd that started to vaguely chicken-dance around the stage to his heart-wrenching soliloquies, the whole of Roger's set was indeed a hidden treasure, albeit slightly salty.