HOLLY THROSBY live review

Delving back into the archives today, we look back at a fabulous live show from the delectable Ms Holly Throsby...

Somebody, somewhere deserves a massive pat on the back for inviting Holly Throsby to perform at the Spiegeltent. Rarely can a performer and a venue have been so well matched. The circular tent has an intimate, nostalgic feel to it, right down to the wooden panels and cosy, candlelit booths. It’s the ideal setting for Throsby’s hushed voice and whimsical music. Meanwhile, the mirrors that adorn the walls of the tent suggest the same air of illusion and mischief that is also found in Throsby’s lyrics.

Long-time collaborators The Hello Tigers are also well-suited to Throsby. Both Jens Birchall and Bree van Reyk are multi-instrumentalists of some talent. But what really sets them apart is their ability to leave space in all the right places, allowing Throsby’s whispered voice to shine through. 

‘Warm Jets’ opens the night in graceful fashion. Throsby plays a revolving keyboard line, Birchall plucks his cello strings pizzicato-style, while van Reyk supports on backing vocals. Next comes ‘On Longing’, a song about the reconciliation of two lovers that includes the neat lyric: “I have many things done wrong.” It’s classic Throsby because it’s simple, slightly flawed and playful. 

Acoustic guitar and accordion then come to the fore, as the trio sing together on the tender ‘Now I Love Someone’, before playing the more atmospheric ‘Under The Town’ (“a song about a dead dog” as Throsby explains, in typically self-deprecating style).

In between songs, Throsby is jovial and often pokes fun at herself (after noting the close proximity of the audience, she says she regrets her decision not to wear tights). She also explains that Tim Rogers once told her that he would love her to play ‘Berlin Chair’. So, after a quick “apology to anyone who remembers this as a rock n’ roll song”, that’s exactly what the band does. And, thanks mainly to Birchall’s deft mandolin, they pull it off.    

The night draws to a close with a slightly wonky version of ‘Building A Fire’, and then two songs from the first album: ‘Damn That New Body’ and ‘We’re Good People But Why Don’t We Show It’. Performing these older songs is a fittingly nostalgic way to end a performance in this venue.  When the Spiegeltent returns to these shores, let’s hope somebody, somewhere has the good sense to invite Throsby back.

 

By Andy McLean. Copyright held by author.
First published in The Brag, Sydney, November 2008.