Live Review: Anna O, Angus Dawson, Bri Clark

It was a night of farewells as indie electronic act, Anna O, moving on to greener pastures, played a send-off Perth show before taking Melbourne by storm.

Bri Clark was a stunning opener. She had an unassuming demeanor and gentle personality for such a powerful voice. Some of her originals included Shiver, with vocals that blazed and amazed. The intricate drumbeats hit some sharp and complex snare sounds and patterns. Introducing Twin Stars, she explained the meaning behind binary stars in the solar system that orbit each other but never get close enough to do any damage – a stunning metaphor. 

Angus Dawson came as a surprise with experimental electronica. He used a synthesised drum kit for most of his effects. It was quite a sight, between the auto tune and the accompaniment included in his act. He invited the lovely headliner, Anna O, to sing a duet with him that involved an excerpt of Time To Pretend by MGMT, which everyone totally got into. He then covered Bon Iver’s Beth/Rest. 

Lady of the hour, Anna O opened her set with Make Believe, drums and synth introducing the singer’s beautiful voice. The band was immediately engaged and electric. Hibernation, a haunting single of the artist’s, captured the magnificent thunderstorms that continued throughout the event. Something that received a booming response was her freshman single, Sleepless, with its contagious opening calls. “Join the choir, join the choir,” the chorus rang, and without further ado, transitioned into Gravity, which included a stellar drum solo and vibrant riff from members Nathan Woodward and Josh Allen. With the exciting move to Melbourne ahead, the group were happy to announce they’d been collaborating more with their collective songwriting, which had resulted in a new song, Games – it had edge and heart, something Anna O unwaveringly possesses. The ultimate crowd pleaser was ‘Anna O taking on Sia’ with their rendition of Elastic Heart. It’s a killer tune that will undoubtedly hold a spot in their future repertoire. Symphony, a beautiful ballad, took us into the later hour, before they gave their thanks and appreciation to the many folks that had come out on such a blustering night. Close My Eyes and Fanfare came at the very tail end of the set, and it will no doubt ignite the next phase of Anna O’s mighty leap.