Live Review: Sons Of Zoku, The Winter Gypsy

Upon entering The Grace Emily Hotel and striding past an open fire and a shrine to Bert Newton, you find yourself in a packed-out room with a cosy stage at the end of it, lit with lanterns and fairy lights. Sharing that stage shoulder-to-shoulder were local folk boys The Winter Gypsy, filling the dimly lit space with their very sweet, acoustic tunes. We saw a considered balance of instruments, incorporating a swelling trumpet alongside fuzzy electric guitar work, making for a poignant and humbling sound. Slower, sleepy tracks like People were complemented with more growling, building numbers like Took Me By, during which a murky electric guitar solo coaxed an extra 20-odd people into the room.

It wasn't just any old gig for local psych-rock outfit Sons Of Zoku, but a live recording set to be compiled into an intimate representation of the evening as an accompaniment to their studio sessions. With cameras at the ready throughout the crowd, the set begins with a haunting flute and some distant bells and zills, instantly transporting us to a snowy mountain in the Himalayas. Or maybe a Buddhist temple in Tibet. Enter frontman Ricardo Da Silva, breaking the silence with a totally animalistic scream and thrashing guitar alongside suddenly explosive percussion. Each track lasted about ten minutes and the set was reminiscent of a journey. They built, grew, hesitated, peaked and then grew again, bigger than before. Da Silva spent a lot of time rolling around on the floor, almost defeated by exhaustion, as the other members seemed to experience moments of spiritual enlightenment with eyes rolling back and sweat dripping from foreheads. All four of them could not have given any more to this performance if they wanted to.

There was a short intermission before the second half of the set, which included a track dedicated to Da Silva's father that was incredibly moving. Giving tracks emotional light and shade is something Sons Of Zoku have mastered. The ability to switch the mood within seconds, naturally and effectively, polished Sons Of Zoku's set from hotel gig into theatrical performance.