The Family Stone

Fashionably late as always I only managed to catch the last couple of songs for opener Erin Marshall. To be honest, it wasn’t that memorable. She’s a pretty girl and her songs are melodic pretty girl songs and her voice is a quiet pretty girl voice. Good if that’s you’re thing, but from what I saw not particularly captivating.

The Orange Bird is a project headed by ex-Beautiful Girls bassist Clay McDonald. The stage set up includes a Viking looking Clay, complete with skirt and woolly beard, a bass drum sitting on the ground, a guy crouched over a magic box of noise and a Pocahontas keys chick complete with swirly dress and feathered headband. The songs started out appropriately moody with sound scapes moulded by heavy drums and percussion. They progressed into reggae, steam train blues, fast stomping semi punk and lighter medieval sea shanty tracks. Clays gravely voice sung below most of the music, providing a dark, Occa Nick Cave kinda vibe. It was completely unexpected and entertaining, including the use of the power drill.

Angus and Julia took their time to set up, but the crowd were happy to wait. The story book cut outs were later explained to be from the cover of the book Angus found while exploring their Grandmother's abandoned house. That’s the book that their new album and song “A book like this” is named after. The characters were looking up to the starry background, past the vines entwined on the mic stands, to someone watching over them. Perhaps Bella, the subject of a beautiful remembrance tune.

Julia’s voice is an unusual one. In softer tones it’s almost a whisper, but once belted out can send shivers. Her song writing too is fantastic, with the new Hollywood tune striking a chord with every female in the room, and her in-between song story telling rambling but enjoyable interludes. The only disappointment from my point of view was the trumpet playing. She was just a little off with it all night, once Angus picked it up things changed though. That’s the bonus of having a close knit duo act, you’re assured of great harmonies, and generally where one stumbles the other lifts. I’m not a big fan of the way Angus sings, but if he had more strength in his voice I know I could be. His new electric guitar, a 21st present form his Dad, made him seem much more comfortable and excited, as his voice cracked to a whisper on a few key notes.

The crowd thoroughly enjoyed the show, with many boys professing their love as Julia told of being dumped at the Metro, and everyone providing complete hush during each song. There was a suitable mix of fun, with the Calamity Jane cover of ‘Windy City’ almost unrecognisable, but apparently a regular cover in their set. The crowd throwing paper planes during ‘Paper Aeroplane’ was one of those charming ‘movie moment’ experiences, and the Cumbiyah, My Lord ending with their entire family on stage was touching.

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