Live Review: SAFIA, Boo Seeka

It was man-bun central tonight in the great state of Hobart, as a cold night brought Boo Seeka and SAFIA to the famous Goods Shed. As the crowd packed into the ever-so-beautiful venue, an affable sense of camaraderie filled the venue. Within seconds of Boo Seeka's set beginning, the crowd was warmed up and ready to party to their hearts' desire. Ben Gumbleton, accompanied by his seemingly neverending bottle of wine, immediately set an intensely upbeat tone for the rest of the night. Does This Last had the crowd roaring and Boo Seeka rode that energy like a downhill skier for the whole set.

The electricity of Boo Seeka's stage presence shot through the crowd, as Kingdom Leader’s soulful vibrancy droned throughout the venue. Towards the end of their set, Boo Seeka demanded all the lights be turned off and the whole crowd turn their phone flashlights on. The cheeky addition of Khalid’s Young Dumb & Broke as an introduction to a song got the crowd up and about. A wave of fireflies brightening the pitch-black room swayed along to Turn Up Your Light, as the crowd grew more hyped for the main event.

A safari of drunken young adults stampeded towards the humble bar staff in the intermission, before SAFIA graced the stage. The Canberra band never phone it in when they perform. A staple of SAFIA’s live concerts are colourful, erratic lasers which accompany the music perfectly. Ben Woolner’s ability to hit the highest of notes is unparalleled in the scene of Australian electronica, proving so with a spirited performance of Together, Locked Safely. After the band waded their way through an assortment of songs from their latest album Story’s Start Or End, a romping rendition of Make Them Wheels Roll had the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. 

All things considered, Boo Seeka and SAFIA proved, once again, to be two of the best live acts in Australia today. There is an unmatched level of energy from the two incredible bands and the Goods Shed was the perfect venue to show off their talents. Festival heads should be begging for SAFIA and Boo Seeka to make their way onto some New Year's Eve line-ups.