Live Review: Big Thief, Katy Steele

With the fairy lights twinkling and the summer breeze in the air, the Chevron Gardens were the perfect backdrop to a chilled-out night listening to great music. Perth's own Katy Steele graced the staged wearing bright red stripper boots a la Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman and a fiery white jacket, with her band dressed head to toe in white. "It's been so long since I played in my home town, so long, you can't see my wrinkles, I have so much make-up. I am older but I am smarter," Steele giggled to herself.

Returning after a long hiatus with her debut solo record Human, Steele took over the gardens with her soaring vocals in Lasers, still as perfect as they were when she first started in Little Birdy. The crowd got grooving to Where's The Laughter before Steele slayed it in the empowering anthem Diamonds with her own sexy moves. Steele stripped back the set, getting personal and raw in Lonely and Rescue Boat with her red keyboard in hand before ending her brilliant set with It Ain't Me.

As the stars began to appear in the night sky, Brooklyn's Big Thief knelt down and tuned their guitars. Frontwoman Adrianne Lenker was a vocal powerhouse, particularly on her solo Cut My Hair, which could easily be about her own buzz cut. "This is our first time in Australia, also our first time in Perth. Hi," Lenker said and an eager crowd cheered with delight as she launched into Vegas. A song about longing for a partner, Parallels is one of many moments which Lenker imbues with intense emotional depth while still hitting high notes like a pro.

With guitars blaring, Big Thief's sound is a mixture of folk-rock and indie, powerful at times but also mellow and emotional with their whispering lyrics in Lorraine and Paul. It was sad to see the crowd disappear throughout Big Thief's set, it was almost like everyone was there just to see Katy Steele. However, that didn't stop Lenker from putting her heart and soul into every note. Album title track Masterpiece and Real Love laid bare Lenker's emotions and pain, her anger showing through her vocals as Katy Steele watched on from backstage. Big Thief are a masterpiece that will leave you lingering in their majestic lyrics and indie-rock tunes for days.