Angus and Julia Stone

On what was a cold night in Perth, the warm surrounds of the Octagon Theatre at the University of WA was a pleasant surprise for the large crowd of Angus and Julia Stone fans gathered. The group of beanie, headband and checked shirt sporting followers stood around drinking wine and Little Creatures pale ale in the foyer, before moving upstairs to take their seats. For those not familiar with the Octagon, the theatre encompasses a stage, with tiered seating 180 degrees around it, making for an intimate performance.

Taking our seats four rows up and directly in front, we were offered a superb view of the stage, and what was to become a great opening act. Out wheeled a large harp, and following it, its player Victor Valdes. Although 20 minutes late, there was no complaints, as he got right into a cover of the song Sway. Valdes played some classics, and was happy to take a request of a classic Mexican song; Cielito Lindo. It was quite humoring to hear the crowd replace the lyrics in Guantanamera with the more accustomed version to us Australians; ‘One tonne Rodeo’! Valdes finished his set with a display of flamenco dancing, the lights dimmed, and the crowd got ready for what they came to see.

The set was more like a theatre show than a concert, which fitted in well with the surrounds they were playing in. The clouds and sun hung from the sky, lit up with bright spotlights, and the ever popular drum line of Mango Tree brought the crowd to their senses. Private Lawns was to follow, and such was the quality of performance, that everyone could have left at this moment feeling satisfied.

However, this is not the way of the Stones, and as a testament to their long, arduous touring schedule; they continued to please the onlookers. The duo showed that they are not by any means limited to playing guitars, with a trombone, clarinet and trumpet managing to find their way into the set. As the shrill sound of Angus’ harmonica rang out during Just a Boy,portions of the crowd were dancing in the aisles, enjoying what they thought were the final moments of something special. As the song progressed, puppets of Angus and Julia dangled from the rafters, adding visual impact to an already intriguing set. What was the most satisfying aspect of the surrounds was that everyone paid the due respect to the duo, and conversation was kept to a minimum, which is more than can be said for many festival shows.

As the lights dimmed, and the Stones walked off stage, it was all too obvious that they would return, and return they did to rapturous applause. A&J wound into the song Bella, and continued on to perform A Book Like This. By this stage it was obvious as to what was coming, and as the opening bars of The Beast rang out, the crowd showed their delight, once again getting out of their seats and dancing in the aisles. Angus and Julia were treated to a standing ovation, and one can only hope that it won’t be too long until they return to the West.

Share this review on Facebook