Live Review: Boy & Bear, Battleships

Entering Forum Theatre, we're quite impressed, if a little suspicious, at just how many people made it out early for the first of tonight's two supports acts, Dustin Tebbutt. It doesn't take long to realise that, in actual fact, Tebbutt finished long ago and the set times we perused before departure were about as accurate as Melbourne's 15-day weather forecast.

Battleships take to the stage, confirmation that the Tebbutt ship has truly sailed, and they have a headliner feel about them. At times Jordan Sturdee's voice is so haunting it feels like this venue was built precisely for him. Plagued with some feedback issues, the set is otherwise a solid display of a band on the rise. ELO's Evil Woman signals Boy & Bear's arrival on stage for the first of three Melbourne shows as part of their 16 Days Under A Southern Sun tour. With singer Dave Hosking's guitar slung so high it looks like it might choke him, the show gets off to an energetic start much to the delight of the visibly excited crowd. Rabbit Song is a surprise early inclusion, creating a surge of impetus that carries on through the next handful of songs.

New songs like Harlequin Dream, with its short saxophone solo, are met with delight. Clearly enjoying the evening, several of the band members take time to partake in some banter. With the crowd already won over, a compliment by Hosking about Melbourne's coffee sees the audience relocated to the palm of his hand. We even become privy to some in-jokes, including guitarist Killian Gavin's new alter ego Neil Moon – a name coined when he was forced to wear a moon boot after breaking his toe just before going on tour.

Boy & Bear cap their set off perfectly by warning us not to expect an encore. Bucking the trend of most big shows, they round off their performance with Feeding Line and, as promised, don't return for an unnecessary encore.