Live Review: Dope Lemon

Dope Lemon’s first headline show in Adelaide in over three years came on the back of the release of new album, Smooth Big Cat. The group is the brainchild of Angus Stone, better known for his work with sister Julia Stone, and tonight was the perfect opportunity for fans to acquaint themselves with some of his more blissed-out material.

It was great to see the venue packed to near capacity. Opening songs Stonecutters and How Many Times provided a serene beginning and set the scene for the gig to follow – a chilled-out vibe that was a little like the Dandy Warhols on Valium. Stone himself was looking relaxed in an almost velvet-like black suit, with his white shirt unbuttoned most of the way down (not quite all the way to the navel). The subdued lighting set an ambient mood that matched the music.

The crowd clearly had their favourite songs. The opening chords of Marinade, off the group’s first album, gained a huge cheer and a sea of phones came up in salute. Recent single, Hey You, had many of us singing along. Although Stone plays the enigmatic frontman act well, it is the band as a whole that impresses. An immensely talented bunch, they deserved an introduction.

Material from the new album held up well with the very attentive crowd. The dream-like Salt & Pepper stood out as a highlight with its addictive refrain of, "I got the cocaine fling in my brain," easy to groove along to. While a Dope Lemon show is a long way removed from the melodic folk-style of an Angus & Julia Stone gig, the number of heads that were nodding along to most songs was testament to the power of the music.

The singer didn’t have much to say between songs and his brief mutterings were barely comprehensible anyway, although his invitation to the strip club next door did receive a huge cheer. The hour-long set flew by and was backed by only a brief encore of Uptown Folks, which was the most upbeat song of the night, ending things on a high. The five-piece gave us a collective bow and departed into the darkness, leaving us to spill out into the cold of Hindley Street.