Sunset Sounds @ Brisbane Botanical Gardens, Day One - Jan 6th (continued)
Emiliana Torrini, image by Carley Hall
Icelandic chanteuse Emiliana Torrini takes the stage with her tie and bowler hat-clad band and her faithful following is rapt from the minute this humble little lady opens her mouth. Playing a mix of rare gems and favourites like “Sunny Road,” “Big Jumps” and “Jungle Drum,” Torrini delivers a strong performance that is marred only momentarily by her alarm at seeing bats fleeting across the sunset sky. Announcing that Sunset Sounds has been her biggest festival yet played is definitely surprising, but is sure to be outdone in the future if she continues her lovely work.
It’s hard to believe the picturesque surroundings of the Garden stage could accommodate any more festival-goers, as streams of folk pile on in to the heaving crowd (warning: trees are precarious people but admittedly a good vantage point) to catch the electro group on everyone’s lips and without a doubt the most-hyped here today. Albeit some minor mix issues, Art Vs Science deliver in every category, grabbing the crowd and giving them exactly what they came to see – a furious, sweaty, fist-pumping dance-mosh. Hit after hit is trotted out to the insatiable crowd, “Hollywood,” “Parlez Vous Francais” getting the sweat flying and “Flippers” getting the royal treatment with pals Datarock jumping on board to bust out some sweet dance moves alongside their buddies. The rain comes down like sweet relief with the Sydney-siders taking credit for the change of weather. The set was so magic that for a second we almost believed him.
While most of the electro-moshers scarper in the direction of Moby, a wave of newcomers arrive on the scene, some curious, some with that expectant, knowing twinkle in their eye, to witness some of the finest guitar noodling that the world has ever seen. After a lengthy set up, Mexican brother and sister duo Rodriquo Y Gabriela greet a rapturous crowd in their native tongue with “buenos noches!” The two get into their infamous acoustic guitar duelling, trotting out a few numbers from their latest 11:11, which is awesome to listen to but even more astonishingly fantastic to witness. Gabriela seems to have the edge over her brother; the way this mesmerising woman bashes her way through their Mexican-inspired numbers and an awesome Metallica cover is intense. These two truly love to entertain and they do it with every bone in their body. Charisma, passion, grace and child-like are all perfect words to describe the understated brilliance of Rodriquo Y Gabriela.
- Carley Hall & Katherine Allan
