Live Review: Mia Dyson, Greta Stanley

On a hot, stuffy night, Greta Stanley plays a raw acoustic set to a packed Gaso. Singing songs about self-sabotage and love/heartbreak, Stanley looks almost embarrassed to be here, but nevertheless lets us into her vulnerability through the power of her vocals, which are enough to carry her. 

To celebrate the launch of her new album, Mia Dyson kicks off proceedings with two floor-stomping tracks, Diamonds and Gambling, off the new record. Bringing out the fuzz pedal for joyful, mid-tempo rocker Nothing, Dyson pauses to rightly acknowledge "the glorious earth and the sky" shining down upon us through The Gasometer Hotel's open roof. Referring to motherhood as "a job that's no joke whatsoever", which prompts cheers from seemingly every woman in the crowd, Dyson dives into the lovely Everything Is Waiting For You, which she says is written for every unborn (or born) child looking out at the possibilities the world has to offer. A rock ballad with a sweet message for all the romantics out there.

From a song about unborn children to one about "the little girl in all of us", Dyson launches into her new single Fool before hitting us with the pining love song Tell Me, which are her most warmly received songs throughout the venue's three tiers of audience (floor, stairs and balcony).

There's nothing better than a good, old-fashioned guitar solo and Dyson certainly knows her way around a fretboard. She can make her guitar sound shimmering, fuzzed-out, jagged or just straight-down-the-line rock'n'roll. The highlight of these solos occurs during the climax of Cigarettes with a soaring guitar lick, utilising loop pedal to glorious effect, which brings the house down (or blows what's left of the roof off).

Dyson plays upbeat rock music with catchy hooks, a joyful stage presence and wonderful chemistry with her American band, who hold down an incredibly tight beat on drums and bass. Mostly focused on the mid-range, her vocals are also incredibly versatile, reaching the upper register with precision on a couple of songs. 

Recounting a special Christmas-time story where she encountered a real-life elf ("or a man dressed as one") in a forest outside LA on New Year's Eve, Dyson plays Whole Is The Bleeding Heart to a rousing applause.

After one of the all-time quickest encore breaks in history ("we just all piled up in a corner for a moment"), Dyson and band appropriately close out the night with her big hit, When The Moment Comes, as her slide-guitar solo sends us home full of good vibes and warm, fuzzy feelings.