A warm, exciting and vocally-stunning performance
Presented by: Adelaide Festival
Reviewed: 5 March, 2023
In the last show of her Australian tour, Julia Jacklin lit up the Hindley Street Music Hall with a lively and engaging, while also peaceful and dreamlike performance, with the help of energetic opening act RVG.
Opening on the night was Melbourne-based indie band RVG, with their casual surfy rifts, providing a coastal vibe, combined with punk energy and engaging elements of angsty grunge. Deep, emotion-inducing vocals paired with clear, expressive lyrics engaged the audience, while contrasting vocals similar to spoken-word provided variety within the performance.
Songs played included A Quality of Mercy, I Used To Love You, and a unique lyrical tune with consistent ‘squid’ references, with a highlight being the spontaneous bursts of multiple spotlights in-line with the song’s sharp beat to both the visual and audible delight of the crowd.
Rousing cheers, whistles and yells of “we love you Julia” emanated from the audience as, amusingly, Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On provided a dramatic stage entrance for the popular Aussie singer, who was dressed in a relaxed and somewhat folksy white-collared red dress, with white flowing sleeves and patterned details. Julia opened the show to joyous applause with the 2022 tune, Be Careful With Yourself – a gently caring plea to someone she loves to take care of themselves, combined with religious imagery.
Julia delighted the audience with a range of songs from her discography, including to Perth, before the border closes, the dramatic Moviegoer, Body with its moody piano and jingle, and a song described as thematically about sadness and water; Pool Party – an ode to her home of the Blue Mountains with a vibrant musical bridge that allows the lead guitarist to show off their skills.
The lyrics of the 2022 song Ignore Tenderness hit especially close to home when experienced live and sung with such power, as moments of Julia’s intimate sexual experiences were reflected in memorable lyrics like “ever since I was thirteen, been pulled in every direction” and “beneath the sheets you’re just a cave”.
It’s very easy as an audience member to simply close your eyes and tilt your head back (just like Julia on stage), and focus solely on her smooth, warming vocals and melancholic words, which take you on a journey into the dream-like world she has created. The relaxed, safe and dreamy atmosphere is also enhanced with hints of wispy smoke gently floating behind the performers, paired with mellow coloured lighting of purples and blues.
As the show neared the end, the upbeat popular tune I Was Neon had the crowd bursting into cheers, especially when Julia teased out dramatic notes with her smooth and controlled vocals which continued to grow in intensity and power, leaving her fans ecstatic.
Throughout the night Julia’s personable character was brightly shining, especially when chatting every so often to the audience. She reminisced about one of her first gigs outside of Sydney which was an open-mic night in a random Hindley Street venue where her ‘stage’ was under a TV playing sport. Despite the unideal staging and distraction of the TV, she was joyously overwhelmed that the Adelaide crowd embraced her then, just as they warmly embrace her now. These down-to-earth comments and stories emphasise the genuine nature of her intimate, catchy and often very relatable lyrics.
Fans of Julia Jacklin would not have been disappointed with the warm, exciting and vocally-stunning performance (what a warm hug would be if it were a concert), providing an enjoyable Sunday night, especially with the added talent and energy of RVG to open the show.
Reviewed by Georgina Smerd
Venue: Hindley Street Music Hall
Season: Season ended
Duration: 2 hrs 30 mins
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