Live Review: Horrorshow, Taj Ralph

For an evening that seemed defined by homecoming triumph, no act was more fitting to grace the Factory Theatre's stage than the local funk-infused R&B of Taj Ralph.

His down-tempo and groove-heavy performance set the tone for Horrorshow's hometown stop on their groove-heavy, all acoustic tour. By the time the main event took the stage, the Factory's floor was heaving and ready to dance.

The Sydney legends curated the evening from across their 11-year career and their four studio albums. Avoiding their more angled and darker cuts, Horrorshow leaned into positive vibes by putting tracks like Push (featuring Taj Ralph) and the tour's namesake Cherry Blossom front and centre. Rearranged around drums, guitar and piano, the soul and warmth of Nick Bryant-Smith's vocals took on a big band feel and the tracks themselves - even the evening's most sombre picks - veered into joyous overtures. Part of this was due to the inescapable goodwill the crowd had for the band, and part of it was down to the pure pleasure Bryant-Smith projected at being on stage with his band.

What stands out most from the evening was not just Bryant-Smith's unimpeachable and razor-sharp performance (this was a given), but how tight and unified the band's live performance was. Often, Bryant-Smith would sit himself down on a high stool at the stage's centre. This seemed less intended to remove himself from the centre of the action; more a way for him to join his bandmates on their level. The effect was a resounding success: the music took on new a life.