Live Review: L-FRESH The LION, Jessica Jade, Nicole Tania

Energy defined the downstairs area of The Factory Theatre for the L-FRESH The LION's hometown show. Nicole Tania kicked the night off with her own blend of ‘90s and ‘00s hip hop. Early into her set it became apparent that she was the person you'd want DJing your party. Joyously lip-syncing and dancing, she became the party herself.

Jessica Jade’s succeeding set substituted a DJ controller for a microphone, accompanied by acoustic guitar. This minimalist approach, along with her soft, sensual vocals that recalled Jhené Aiko and Frank Ocean, demanded wall-to-wall silence from the crowd for her 45 minute set — the only noise that emanated from the audience were applause breaks. She captivated everyone watching with an array of stunning covers, putting her own spin on songs by Ocean and Aiko, as well as Alicia Keys, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith and 2Pac, among others.

Then came the top biller. L-FRESH The LION and vocalist Mirrah were as unified as ever, opening with their polished Get Mine choreography. The chemistry between L-FRESH and his band showed and watching them perform together felt as though we were looking in on a backyard jam session; the set was raw, but the musicians on stage were well versed in performance. L-FRESH felt the intimacy of the evening too, acknowledging the “living room” feel of the show. That being the case, he felt at ease providing context for his music in the form of insightful interludes — moments of sharing that felt authentic and eloquent.

What stands out most about an L-FRESH The LION gig isn’t so much the music, but the vibe he’s been able to foster and create. L-FRESH created a space where everyone in attendance felt truly safe and comfortable; two qualities that are unfortunately not guaranteed at gigs.

The waves of energy (in the form of songs) that break against the audience are unending, much to the crowd's satisfaction. The audience finds unity through movement, and as he closed out his encore with his new Sydney Kings anthem We The Kings and Survive, it was clear who the king of Sydney was.

L-FRESH The LION is managed by Craig Treweek, who is a director of Handshake Media, owner of this website.