Live Review: Nat Vazer, Willowbank Grove, Private Mountain @ Howler

The arboreal enclave of Brunswick's Howler plays host to an odd crowd tonight. Older fans are there for what could prove to be the last-ever lineup of one of the city's greatest live acts and a much younger and louder group who seem more familiar with the two support acts.

The first of these comprises a solo set from Tom Atkinson, better known as the frontman for the unassuming and quietly amazing psych-pop combo Private Mountain.

Anyone who has come across the band on stage or online will know about Atkinson's wry turns of phrase and gift with melodies and instrumentation. Solo, these songs are a very different prospect.

Though his voice is a powerful instrument – especially when he pushes it a little, and it gains a raspy edge – Atkinson relies on dynamics to the degree that suggests he knows the songs aren't strong enough in this format. His thick guitar chords, plucked or lightly strummed, come almost as an afterthought. Songs like From Moment To Moment are so compelling and exciting on record, but they seem formless and thinner in this version. New songs comprising the rest of the set are difficult to gauge in their full versions, yet I cannot wait to see them played as a band. Atkinson is a compelling presence and a truly exciting talent.

Until 12 hours before showtime, the middle slot of the evening was due to be taken by one of Melbourne's most hyped and exciting bands, Moaning Lisa. Due to what we later learn is "a nasty case of Covid", the band withdrew, and youthful funk sextet Willowbank Grove stepped up to the plate.

Sounding and looking like the offspring of The Cat Empire or a band that heard Red Hot Chilli Peppers' One Hot Minute and decided that was all the inspiration they needed to form a band, Willowbank Grove has a lot going on. Distinct personalities abound. Songs seem to be vehicles for energy, with all the members playing all the time.

We later get some slap bass solos, but even then, the band’s two singers partake in a rhythmic dance that involves hitting each other’s shoes with their own. Regardless of whether you find this endearing or weirdly twee, what matters is that the band think this matters.

There is no apology or shyness or reticence. What there is, is so much musical talent and joy in performance – especially in the form of singer Camryn Jordans – that it's almost impossible to deny. Afternoon slots in music festivals were invented for a band like this one. 

Also overcoming sound issues with sheer tightness is the woman who is the reason we are all here. Before she even plays a note, Nat Vazer is an immediately powerful stage presence. Opening with Alexander and the stunning Higher Places, Vazer and her band lock into airy and propulsive grooves over which her voice swoops and glides. It's a stunning combination that arrests the attention of all in the room. A subsequent gorgeously moody version of Reptilia uncovers depths that even The Strokes didn't know it held. 

"It's an emotional night tonight," Vazer tells the crowd. This will be the band's last Melbourne show for the foreseeable future, as they will soon relocate to the United States.

The move will be without guitarist Andy Campbell, who Vazer describes as "the best guitarist in the country". Though a contested title, Campbell makes a strong argument for its truth with his work on the ensuing tracks Addicted to Misery and 2 AM Diner, two high points of Vazer’s 2023 album Strange Adrenaline.

The interplay between Vazer and Campbell's guitars has always been a highlight of her songs, and it is hard to imagine that his fiery solos and textured, fluid chords will be easily replaced. "He's been with us for five and a half years," says Vazer as the audience applauds. Campbell nods politely.

Introducing "a new song that hasn't been recorded yet," the band ease into Fortune Teller, a rich and languid song that, like many of her best, is pushed along by Vazer's deft finger-picking and toasted guitar tone. With the opening notes of her best-known song, Strange Adrenaline, fans surge to the stage, phones aloft, to film the performance and join her in the catchy chorus. Again, the dual guitars of Vazer and Campbell push a good song to even greater heights.

Smiling and looking as though she is feeling the emotion she mentioned earlier, Vazer thanks the support acts and introduces the band. "This next song is our last one," says Vazer. Closing with another of her best songs, Grateful, the surging guitars, the pointed lyrics, the smart, twisting arrangement and the cacophonous outro all make the case for her as Vazer being one of the city’s great hidden talents. One we are soon to –temporarily at least – lose.

As she sings, minutes before leaving the stage: "She climbed so high, she broke the ceiling / So we can do it once more with feeling / They tell me it could be easy / And I should be grateful". She might not need to be, but we are.