Live Review: Bishop Briggs, Sahara Beck

Hailing from Brisbane, our one and only support for tonight is soulful songstress Sahara Beck. As the very first note leaves her mouth, the crowd is in awe, with whispered exclamations sprinkled around the room. Beck’s effortless emotion is incredibly impressive and as her soulful jazz tones ring through latest single Here We Go Again, her bubbly and quirky personality make the crowd laugh along with her. 

To contrast, I’m In Love kicks off with a forcefully deep guitar riff that sounds like something straight from a country and western film. This song catches everyone off guard as Beck belts a huge vocal run that is met with thunderous applause and cheers. You honestly can’t help but stop and listen while this outstandingly talented woman is singing. “I’m just checking the time, I’m not on tinder,” Beck jokes while checking her phone; her onstage banter is comedic and down to earth, feeling completely at ease. A cover of Etta James' I’d Rather Go Blind could well and truly be her own song it sounds that perfect, and as the set rolls to a close, the applause is again deafening as fans old and new give Beck the recognition she deserves for a stellar performance. 

The sold-out Corner Hotel is a tight squeeze now as London’s Bishop Briggs takes to the stage. Immediately jumping into the opening lines of The Way I Do, it quickly builds up into high-energy jumping and dancing, and Briggs is moving all over the place with excitement and vitality. She’s only cleared two songs of the set before you can hear her breathlessness, but this barely affects the vocal force of Dark Side, as she physically does laps of the stage, hyping herself and the crowd up before the booming drums take hold during White Flag. Her energy is outstanding, constantly jumping in a fight stance during songs, rocking back and forth while singing and covering every section of the stage. A short respite comes in the form of a cover of INXS’ hit, Never Tear Us Apart that encapsulates Briggs' soulful tones and highlights her incredible range as jaws drop to the floor. Despite running out of breath during Dream, Briggs does an excellent job at holding back on the low sections and saving her voice for the bigger notes and runs. Finally, as the iconic first beats of fan favourite River take hold of the venue, the crowd loses their minds, thrashing their fists in the air and belting the hook at the top of their lungs: “Shut your mouth and run me like a river.” The concluding cheers are ear-splitting. 

As Briggs leaves the stage a violent encore chant thunders through the room, but unfortunately the house lights turn on and it’s over, fans aching for more.