Live Review: James Blake & Jonti

The second and final Australian show on this short and tantalising tour only further cemented James Blake as post-dubstep royalty. But before we received a slice of Blake, Jonti warmed up the proceedings, dancing his goofy dance and pulling out old, new and obscure electronic treats.

Set against the majestic backdrop of Verbrugghen Hall's pipe organ, along with the superior acoustics of the venue, James Blake's material is much more visceral live than on record. Within seconds of opener, Air & Lack Thereof, Blake grooved in his seat, dancing with the music, turning himself into another aspect of this visual and aural feast. I Never Learnt To Share crept in, as he layered vocal loop upon vocal loop, until we lost count, the final loop sung in his incredibly low, soulful register, each word laced with melancholy. By mid-song, the bass had been turned up a notch (or ten), and if you weren't silently weeping yet, you were definitely feeling something now (at the very least, the physical wave of sound).

His boyish charm complements the romanticism of his music, although at times beneath the surface lies the frightening reality of his words. He loses himself in the maddening concoction of CMYK, his agonising vocals further warped with effects. CMYK also showcased the exceptionally tight and disciplined control of drummer Ben Assiter, nailing all those hi-hat triplets and dotted-semiquaver, trip-hop rhythms – a vital element in the strength of their live show.

The 24-year-old played a solo cover of Joni Mitchell's A Case Of You, apologising to pianists for playing it on “this piece of shit keyboard” as he made note of a couple of Steinways and other grand pianos stored at the back of the hall. Blake's covers have also eclipsed those of his predecessors, Limit To Your Love proving to be one of those.

New tracks from forthcoming record, Overgrown, were also unleashed. Smiling to himself after nailing the looping and the beat-heavy segue of Digital Lion, Australian punters were lucky to be among the first to experience it live. Although Retrograde fell a little flat during the encore, his hushed vocal tremolos within “We're alone now, we're alone now” and the humming introduction were unimaginably tranquil and exquisite.

If there are two things we learnt this evening, it's that the Verbrugghen Hall should be utilised more often for non-classical performances, and that James Blake will never fail you. He plants a seed of confidence in you from the get-go with his calm demeanour, and the warm tone of his vocals assures us it's all going to be okay. That's his promise to you.