GIG: THE AUDREYS + NICHOLAS ROY, THE BASEMENT
THE AUDREYS and NICHOLAS ROY took to the stage at Sydney’s music institution known as THE BASEMENT on Friday November 5th
Review By Duncan McLeod
REVIEW:
Nicholas Roy has stripped back his arsenal to a twosome. Surprisingly it works. Although the instrumentation is left to Nicholas to flesh out on his own, his interweaving between guitar and keys appears effortless whilst managing to maintain a strong vocal performance. Nicholas and Adam his drummer seem to really share a chemistry on stage and this is evident in the fluid musical experimentation they afford themselves which certainly serves to enhance the audience experience. Despite the inclusion of seemingly new material and the arrangement of his album tracks the set was all too short. This was due to forces beyond his control and it left the audience hanging which effectively paid dividends for capturing a new fan base.
THE AUDREYS have also undergone a line up change. Taasha has experienced an aesthetic transformation – she now has long hair that is proving difficult to get used to. The band seem very much together and despite the trumpeter having only just learnt some of the songs they all seemed in perfect sync.
The band traversed all three of their albums with the necessary focus on their most recent release ‘Sometimes The Stars’. Nicholas Roy made a return to the stage, to compensate for his short set, and performed the Audrey’s version of INXS’ ‘Don’t Change A Thing‘ with the band. This reviewer became jealous at that moment as he has liked that song and wanted to perform it with the band himself since first hearing them play it.
The set also included ‘Small Things’ and the lovable and very catchy ‘Banjo & Violin’. It was littered with clever banter and a call for the patrons who were talking to vacate the premises (though our leading lady wasn’t so eloquent about it). The musicianship and energy in an Audreys performance (this reviewer has now seen them four times) is infectious. Whilst a change is as good as a holiday and everyone seemed to be having fun, unlike with Nicholas Roy’s new line up, this particular arrangement just didn’t have the spark that the band once had. The voices were in fine form and the crowd got carried away none the less though, like with second album blues, this Audreys Mark II doesn’t quite reach the stars consistently – only sometimes.
