It was an evening of angelic voices; and what a line-up! Before the talented trio of Mia Dyson, Liz Stringer and Jen Cloher were joined on stage by Augie March drummer Dave Williams, we were treated to an opening set from The Clouds’ Jodi Phillis.
A solo Phillis had the challenge of competing with a lone bagpiper busking across the road from The Zoo, his shrill tones wafting up through the open windows. But as soon as she started singing, her voice filled the room, and the crowds’ hearts. Old mate outside was quickly forgotten as we stopped and listened to her dreamy yet commanding voice.
Phillis said little between numbers, but she did explain that her most recent album, Becoming (released at the end of 2018) was her way of dealing with the grief from losing her parents five years earlier. The songs she played conveyed a rich tapestry of love, loss, learning and living. Tunes twinged with melancholy intermingled with those containing life-affirming beliefs. If you’re yet to listen to Jodi Phillis’ Pozible-funded folk-pop album, I highly recommend you rectify that as soon as possible.
Dyson Stringer Cloher walked on stage to Talking Heads’ Once In A Lifetime, in what can only be interpreted as a nod to their matching blue, red and green suits... although the David Byrnes-style jackets didn’t last long in the balmy Brisbane evening.
Cloher played rhythm guitar, Dyson mostly played lead, with Stringer on bass. All three shared vocal duties, with honeyed harmonies. It was entertaining to watch Dyson and Stringer swap instruments throughout the night, although it didn’t seem like Dyson enjoyed playing bass that much. After all, it’s guitar where she truly shines.
The band covered an array of songs from their 2013 EP, Tour, and their recently released eponymous album, along with tunes from their respective bodies of solo work. Recent singles Believer and Falling Clouds received a great audience reaction, as you would expect. So too did When The Moment Comes off Dyson’s 2012 album The Moment. Other standouts included Can’t Take Back and Young Girls.
The encore began with the last track from the Dyson Stringer Cloher album: Can I Borrow Your Eyes. Gathered around one microphone centre-stage, the trio’s beautiful a cappella rendition was, without a doubt, the highlight of the night. Goosebumps.
The show ended with Jodi Phillis coming back on stage for a raucous “supergroup performance”. It was a gig that will be remembered by all in attendance – with no dicks required!
- Dani Nash