Live Review: Whitley, Apollo, Seagull

Tonight marks Whitley's first show in Brisbane in more than two years, with a new record and a stripped-back two-man band to bring it to life. First up, filling in for an absent Esther Holt, is Seagull (also known as Chris Bolton, the other half of the Whitley band). This is a rare treat; Bolton rarely plays live, and his 2010 record Council Tree is a beautiful but criminally under-exposed album. He draws mostly from this record; subtle wisps of songs that are riddled with mundane heartbreak, supported by coldly delicate guitar. It's a captivating set. Or, it is if you're standing no more than two metres from the stage – any further back and you can hear the rest of the crowd chatting loudly and without pause. But Bolton doesn't seem to let it bother him, and it's the crowd's loss more than anything.

It's Apollo's last show ever, and this may account for the intense, downbeat mood that they project throughout most of the set. It's pleasant but unremarkable soulful indie rock, and the boys can't seem to decide whether they want to croon ballads or rock out, and this creates a confused and unsettled style. Mostly though, the problem is that they don't seem to be having much fun, which makes it hard for anyone else to.

Lawrence Greenwood, the singer and main songwriter behind Whitley, addresses the crowd's talking problem early in the set by subtly suggesting that everyone shut the fuck up (and then less subtly throughout the night, as the more liquored up patrons can't seem to grasp the concept). Mostly though, the crowd is rapt and attentive for this intimate performance; gone is the full band that brought the huge sounding Go Forth Find Mammoth to our stages in 2010, leaving just Greenwood and Bolton to recreate this year's darkly lovely Even The Stars Are A Mess. Greenwood's beautifully clear and emotive vocals and lyrics have always been at the forefront of Whitley's sound, and the sparseness of the arrangements here highlight this perfectly. Bolton and Greenwood are both excellent guitarists who weave delicate fingerpicking and clever melodies with a feather light touch. The Ballad Of Terrence McKenna and Roadside are early highlights, both showcasing the hesitant optimism that was ever present on Even The Stars… and wistful versions of I Want This More Than Life and the romantic I Remember from the band's debut record delight the crowd later on. Far too quickly, it's time for the last song, the powerful All Is Whole, which hits you right inside your chest and forces your heart into your throat. Let's not leave it so long between drinks next time please Lawrence.