Live Review: Angus & Julia Stone, Angie McMahon

Brother and sister duo Angus & Julia Stone warm the autumn night with their captivating harmonies and a palette of intriguing instrumentation, supported by singer-songwriter Angie McMahon.

McMahon, on the back of her breakthrough year, treats the crowd with her soulful and laid-back vocals and guitar. Although supported by bass and drums she's at her best in those delicate moments when it's just her voice and guitar. There seem to be some serious sound issues though, a likely result of the outdoor configuration of the Flinders University auditorium. The stage is alongside a glass building, which would be a good guess as to why the monitors are not placed evenly by each side of the stage. Annoyingly enough, it seems to particularly affect the lower frequencies like the bass. McMahon finishes her set on her most familiar song, Slow Mover. The lively crowd chats while standing or camping out on the steps and marking their territory with rugs and beer - waiting.

As the background playback music suddenly drops, Angus & Julia Stone make their way onto the dark stage. The sound of a violin is heard. There is something magical in the air and more instruments join the build-up until the whole stage is lit up to reveal both Angus and Julia. It's interesting to hear how their sound has changed by combining the old and the new works of their career, which has now continued for over a decade. Of Private Lawns, off their first EP, Julia says, "[It was written] in our dad's living room up in Sydney... it's great to still be playing this song all these years later." These tracks take their time to build, striking a perfect balance between vocals, instrumental sections and then something extra like a breathtaking banjo solo.

Chateau stands out with the energy both on and off stage going up a level. A great way to end the set, leaving the crowd wanting more. The hopes for an encore start to dwindle with every "one more song" left unanswered, but it isn't too long before the band comes back for one last hurrah.