Skipping Girl Vinegar

Skipping Girl Vinegar (SGV) set off on their Keep Calm, Carry the Monkey tour Saturday night at the Victorian Arts Centre. The group played to a packed Fairfax Studio, somewhere in the deep catacombs of the iconic Melbourne entertainment venue.

You're not wrong for thinking it may be a little strage to play a folk rock show in what is generally thought of as a formal entertainment venue. In fact, not only was it rather bizarre, it was actually quite fantastically and typically Skipping Girl Vinegar.

As the full house of diverse fans took their seats, each one slowly realising we were actually allowed to bring beers inside, causing a minor annoyance, the mist grew upon a simply set stage of stars and trinkets.

This tour is a beautiful extension of the group's organic and nouveau indie romanticism, which carries stunning melodies and harmonies in instruments from banjos all the way to synth.The no frills, folk driven architecture of the group allows them to venture clear beyond mainstream indie-cool trademarks and cement their own newness on their own accord.

Their layout is nothingto be amazed by: drums, guitar, bass, violin and piano/synth. However, what is unique about SGV is their uncanny ability to refect accurately their free thinking attitudes in life, throughout their music.Consequently, the fans of SGV are hypnotised and allured by the feelings of euphoria that the group so naturally emits.

This concert proves to show a very personal side to the group, allowing audience members to be on the same level as the act, and, as a result, brought the overall tone to a complete neutrality which I simply did not expect.

There were times during this performance I felt like laughing. There were times when I felt like cringing. There were times during this performance I felt like cuddling the stranger next to me. And there were times during this performance I legitimately felt like crying.

In my experience, I have never suffered the full spectrum of emotions as I did during this show. The unwavering equilibrium that was so apparent you could nearly touch it gave us all a freedom to truly enjoy the music. As SGV front man Mark Lang included the crowd in their jokes and furthermore in the music, nearly the entire new album had been played without a blink of the eyes.

SGV are able to ignite the dancing shoes, liberate the voice boxes, raise the arms, expel the tears, explore the curiosities and cure the pessimists of an entire audience. The music they produce is simply able to do whatever it is you ask it to do.

After opening with "Hand to Hold", all five members and the two additional brass members were clearly excited about the new setting, the hurdles it posed and the benefits it added to the atmosphere.

"River Road", from their first album Sift the Noise ended up being a collaboration between SGV and the entire attendance of the studio. A simple acousitc sing along which was easily envisioned around a camp fire as drummer Chris Helm shook a Mount Franklin bottle filled with rice.

"After Helm" had broken a brush; pianist Amanthi Lynch had handed out some homemade mars bar slice, and violinist Kelly Lane had stolen my heart, the room was paralysed.

The songs which stood slimply about the rest were definitely "Hell Out of Town", "Castles Full of Storms", and "You Can"; each awonderful exhibition of the group's ability to paint masterpieces with each stroke.

After the concert my iTunes library grew by two very significant albums. I can assure you, it feels as if it has grown tenfold.

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