Live Review: Odette, Thando

Hail and wild weather did not seem to faze South Australian fans of Odette, as the singer performed to a sold-out Rocket Bar band room.

It was the first night of her To A Stranger tour, off the back of her newly minted debut LP. A month after its release, Odette, real name Georgia Sallybanks (Odette is indeed her middle name), is the latest pop sensation dominating radio airplay while winning hearts near and far. 

Supporting her on the night was Melbourne-based singer Thando, who performed a string of her releases from over the years. The most memorable track was her recent collaboration with REMI (Numb) and her take on Gotye/Kimbra hit, Somebody That I Used To Know. This was performed as a mash-up with Destiny's Child's Say My Name.

Odette was only a tiny bit late, rushing through the crowd at the 11th hour and immediately launching into her set, with Come Close as her opening number. After introducing her band members, they unleashed the ultimate bop, Take It To The Heart, to the audience's pleasure. The band then departed the stage, enabling Odette to perform a few of her more personal songs, which included unreleased content and Do You See Me from her debut LP. The album's week-long stint as feature record on triple j did wonders for the audience participation component of the night; many people were singing along, much to Odette's surprise. Throughout the night, the singer would express her gratitude including a shout-out to the two young girls at the front who were absolutely besotted by her performance. She also performed her triple j Like A Version cover of Magnolia by Gang Of Youths, much to the delight of her young audience.

Odette oozes a quaint air of confidence that is just her own. She is enigmatic and enticing to watch. Her distinguished vocals are robust, warm and comforting and the spoken word poems are lightly articulated but heavy with meaning. The hype is real, and absolutely worth it.