Live Review: Dope Lemon, Golf Alpha Bravo

With the new Fortitude Music Hall just a little too big for the relaxed Dope Lemon experience, The Tivoli plays host to one of its weirdest crowd mixes yet, corporate retirees mixing with the young and hip triple j devotees. 

Though they've little to no music released, Golf Alpha Bravo are obviously doing something right. At times dipping into the chill sounds of The Babe Rainbow, the three-piece shred their way through some of the grittiest psych-rock we've heard this side of the '70s. The guitarist is especially impressive, solos coming left, right and centre with a real Hendrix voicing. Delivering on the tunes without needing to embrace the cringey '70s clothing tropes puts Golf Alpha Bravo well and truly in the 'watch this space' category. 

As the number of instruments on stage triples, the Dope Lemon experience begins to unfold. Angus Stone slinks onto the stage dressed in an all-black cowboy outfit that has him ready for both the Nullarbor and the runway. With khaki aplenty, his band of merry men look like Russell Coight styled by Louis Vuitton. Opening with the atmospheric Stonecutters, it sadly features no men chained to boulders or other Simpsons crossovers. It's not until the third song of the set, Marinade, that the crowd well and truly welcome the band. They hum along to the main guitar melody, a surefire sign that you have made it - not that Stone needed any proof. Two dancers strut on stage dressed as Dope Lemon caricatures from the album art.

Hey You keeps the hits coming but a sea of moodier cuts from the catalogue, such as Lonely Boys Paradise, makes us realise just how one-dimensional the songwriting can be. The crowd becomes stagnant, wondering when the next singalong will come as we are assaulted by some of the most misplaced lighting we've ever seen. Groovy recent cut Home Soon mixes all the best elements of Stone's solo work with some of the more Fleetwood Mac moments of his project with his sister, Julia. The lighting is superb here as the sea of denim jackets and bellbottoms create a disco inferno.

During the encore of Uptown Folks, the lighting becomes rave-like with strobes going absolutely wild; it's super out of place. For a sold-out crowd, there is a noticeable lack of dance moments, most people just soaking in the Australian icon that is Angus Stone.