Live Review: AlunaGeorge in Sydney
AlunaGeorge’s excellent set at Sydney’s Listen Out was closely followed by the obligatory sideshow, this time at Oxford Art Factory.
I therefore spent the week largely hustling for AlunaGeorge tickets, going to see AlunaGeorge, talking about AlunaGeorge, and taking bad photos of AlunaGeorge.
I was not alone. People adore them – and especially her. For a relatively new band, the atmosphere was reverential, both at Listen Out and Oxford Art Factory. Fans sang along to songs that have only been out for a few months as if they’d heard them years ago. Their debut album, Body Music, is a little bit garage, a lot R&B, but mainly really good pop music. George Webb’s beats are stupidly catchy and perfectly set off by Aluna Francis’ unique voice.
In fact, she had enough squeaky-voiced attitude to remind me of Gloria in the genius White Men Can’t Jump, a film I remember from the days when we used to tape onto VHS from the TV and have to fast-forward through the ads. She oozes confidence and self-possession on stage, and her vocals are flawless.
What else? Aluna Francis owns the best bra top ever. It has ‘oh shit’ printed on each side. She paired it with a cape. This alone was worth the ticket price, to be honest. The guy next to me shouted ‘be my best mate’ as the opening notes of Kaleidoscope Love came in, turning to me afterwards to say comfortingly that I could have George if I liked, as long as he could befriend Aluna.
Chasing Paper and Lost & Found were both flawless, as was my personal favourite, their remix of Montell Jordan’s This is How We Do It. Yes, I know it shouldn’t work – but for some reason, it does.
After the crowd went predictably bonkers for the Disclosure-collaboration that first brought them fame, White Noise, the duo finished off the night with Your Drums, Your Love. AlunaFrancis is definitely going on to bigger and better things – and quite right too.
Words and live picture by Sonia Clarke. Crowd pic from AlunaGeorge’s facebook page.
