Live Review: Pierce Brothers, Tales In Space, Gena Rose Bruce

Strangely, a seated crowd meets Gena Rose Bruce – first cab off the rank on a night of diverse Australian talent. Playing a bewitching blend of folk, pop and blues, her pitch-perfect vocals belie a novice voice. Bruce is accompanied by two guitar-toting girls; Cordelia Crosby's languid electric guitar playing and Gretta Ziller's harmonious backing vocals and acoustic work are the perfect foil for an enchanting Bruce. Ending with a cover of Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang, Bruce shows us the blues aren't reserved for the old, her smoky and soulful voice doing plenty of justice to a classic. Pencil the name Gena Rose Bruce down now.

Opening with a dance-rock cover of You Keep Me Hangin' On by Diana Ross & The Supremes, Sydney duo Tales In Space live up to their name, firing the jam out to Mars and back. Luke Bert is all Buddy Holly with his thick-rimmed glasses and sky blue suit jacket that matches his Fender Stratocaster. After a few songs the mysteriously named Simon Pieman trades in his keyboard and loop machine for a bass and instantly adds a layer of punch and purpose to their music. Bizarrely, it takes someone from the sound crew telling people to stand up before anyone does, but the impact is immediate. Dancing breaks out as Tales In Space give a hazy re-treatment to George Michael's Careless Whisper. Crashing electronics add animosity and angst as Pieman shows off his impressive vocal top end on the chorus. Introducing their latest single and last song, Bert jokes, “It's gonna be massive.” With a bassline to rattle around your cerebral cortex for days, he may just be right.

Melbourne's own Pierce Brothers start in foot-stomping, exultant form and stay there all night. Twins Jack and Pat Pierce balance their blues'n'roots music on a bedding of indie-folk. Even though their name originates from their family surname, it's entirely fitting. The hairy two-piece 'pierce' with their intuitive roots music, earthy acoustic and tribal rhythms, as Pat pounds on his guitar Jack bounces from bongos to harmonica to didgeridoo – all the while harmonising in a way that only blood relatives can. Singles The Tallest Teepee In Town and It's My Fault underline the quality of their recent output. These brothers done good make a good din.