Live Review: Andy Bull, Cub Sport

On releasing his second album, Sea Of Approval, last year, Andy Bull undertook a tour national tours of epic proportions, and tonight’s killer show at Oxford Art Factory pretty much wraps up any further touring before he begins working on the next release. Supporting tonight was the Brisbane-bred Cub Sport, who broke out their indie bop-inducing hits Told You So and Paradise to a relatively curious crowd definitely feeling the tropical pop vibes when the quintet played Do You Hear. 

After leaving the Factory waiting for 20 minutes before appearing alongside his four-piece crew, Andy Bull hit us with a jaw-dropping display of vocal range that sounded vaguely operatic, and completely contradicted his laid-back look. For any revellers worried that he would sound any less vocally impressive in person, all doubts were quickly laid to rest as he transitioned into the much loved Baby I Am Nobody Now. Loved Like You was then received with starry-eyed swaying and an enthusiastic sing-along. 

Dog, his dreamy collaboration with Lisa Mitchell, which had originally wowed crowds at Laneway Festival, followed before Bull broke out his triple j Like A Version remake of Tears For Fears’ Everybody Wants To Rule The World for those nostalgic ‘80s fans. To leave gig-goers hanging, it was clear that Bull was holding back his smash hit, Talk Too Much, as a finale piece. 

While sounding even more balladic live, the crowd was left feeling slightly disappointed as Bull exited the stage immediately after finishing the Hottest 100 favourite. And “Why hasn’t he played Keep On Running?” was the question everyone was asking. The answer, it seemed, was because Bull was saving the best for last, and his encore performance of the dancehall tune had the crowd singing along with feverish excitement. With a heartfelt closing speech thanking fans for their support and a dedicated half-hour after the show to meet fans, it’s clear that Andy Bull is both a superbly talented performer and all-round nice guy.