Live Review: Amy Shark, Timberwolf, Nyck

We take a seat on the bandroom floor and get comfortable for Nyck (pronounced as separate letters). The male and female duo is made up of Nick Acquroff and Dominique Garrard whose contrasting vocals beautifully synchronise to create honest ballads full of raw emotion. There's a stillness in the air as we listen to the piano that drives their soothing, mellow vibe with an atmospheric sound of echoing clicks and claps to keep the beat. Nyck share a few remarkable songs, including Speak My Mind and Decision, which will feature on their upcoming debut EP. We're told one new song is about being 28 and not being very happy. "It's okay, I'm 29 now and really happy, though!" exclaims Acquroff. Their heartbreaking stories are expressed in the sweetest possible way.

"It's about that time of night where you should all stand up," Timberwolf (aka Christopher Panousakis) encourages. With a name that's part-wolf, it's only fitting that he plays a cover of Elvis Presley's Hound Dog. It's a stripped-back, reimagined version to show off his incredible vocal range and commands the audience's attention. Panousakis shares the title track from his upcoming release before delving into a vulnerable love song inspired by the late George Harrison. His powerful harmonies and superb guitar work deserve our undivided attention.

"I've already played two shows here, but they were just the warm-up and this one is the real deal!" Amy Shark declares. She's well aware that many punters may've come to this show tonight "on a whim" after having only heard a couple of her songs, so tonight Shark reveals a little bit more of herself. "I'm putting out an EP soon called Night Thinker," she announces as she shares her latest single and personal-favourite live track: Weekends. "That's a really rude song to play on a Tuesday night," she teases. The crowd stands strong despite this being "a school night". 

Shark strips it back with her acoustic guitar for a bittersweet song that she describes as a "pathetic and needy" articulation of fear that an ex would "delete" the times they shared. Shark confesses her next song has got her into a lot of trouble recently and she was even asked to take it offline. Despite being told not to play it, she does and we're glad because it's one of the most powerful and honest moments of her set. The heavy song titled Middle Of The Night comes with a warning label for anyone who's been crying in the shower a lot lately or simply needs a big hug. Shark obviously has plenty of stories to get off her chest and seems to digest it all by sharing her music. We take it all in, note by note, and it soon becomes a therapeutic experience for everyone in the room.

After bringing the energy back up a notch for a feel-good track that gets us dancing, Shark busts out a unique rendition of her favourite Eminem song Superman, bringing plenty of attitude. "If you came here tonight only knowing one song, then this is it!" she says, before taking us out with her hit Adore. It definitely generates the biggest audience response, but tonight Shark proves that she has so much more to offer. She finishes by dropping a hint that she hopes someone's waiting at the bar after the show to buy her a drink.