Lucy Rose @ Freo.Social
w/ Ainslie Wills
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Setting the tone with her unique brand of indie pop, Melbourne’s Ainslie Wills was a fitting choice as opener for Lucy Rose, stripped down to just a guitar and showcasing her vocal depth and colour. In comparison to her normal four-piece line up, it was a refreshing taste of what Wills has to offer. Fear Of Missing Out was a highlight, Wills’ newest single just as impressive without its layers of instrumentation. Confident and clearly pleased to be taking the stage, Wills assured us that Freo.Social was the best option for such an intimate event. She left the crowd relaxed, a gentle anticipation in the air.
Lucy Rose casually walked on stage and took her place behind the piano. Accompanied by only her bass player, Ben, she immediately began to play the devastating Solo (w). Calmly, fans looked on as Lucy lost herself. It became clear that the atmosphere Rose was creating was one of intimate reflection. A silent room, all eyes on the songwriter as her husky tone bounced off of every wall. She moved seamlessly between her piano stool and a seat at the centre of the stage while her husband, as she told us, provided her with either her new vintage acoustic guitar or her electric. It was snippets like this, offered regularly by Lucy in between songs that made it feel as if it were only the two of you alone. A private show, one in which Lucy was completely and unashamedly herself, sharing her thoughts as they happened, no matter how honest. Charming, she pulled laugh after laugh from the crowd with seemingly no effort at all. Her humanness throughout the evening created an experience hard to find. One that may never happen again, even, as Lucy humorously expressed her concern of not making it to her next destination due to the bad weather, and the unknown possibility of whether or not she’d ever return to Perth.
Moments like Nobody Comes Round Here and The Confines Of This World were nothing short of magical; Lucy giving everything, while the rest of us remained frozen and in awe. The intensity of such pieces were broken by short anecdotes or deadpan musings from Rose, assuring us that she didn’t have that many songs left and that if it looks like anybody’s leaving, she’ll just assume they’re going to the toilet. Apologising for playing her most depressing songs from her most depressing album, Rose did stray once or twice, most notably with long-standing deep cut Shiver. The stripped back performance felt like witnessing a rarity, the track receiving the biggest audience reaction of the night.
Self admittedly not a fan of encores, Lucy ‘closed’ with Conversation. A haunting and fitting end to such an emotional evening, Rose humoured us with a fake pause, one in which the crowd begged with their cheers for just one more song that we all knew was already coming. The true finale came in the form of No Words Left album closer Song After Song, one she described as a sad but truthful joke. Just as she had done all night, Rose offered another stunning performance; vocally outstanding and undoubtedly mesmerising.
Our only hope now is that Lucy will survive her flight, and one day blesses us again with her exceptional talent and grounding presence.
CAITLIN NORRIS
Photos by Linda Dunjey
