Live Review: Southwest Showcase

After a last minute venue change to the wonderful Soggybones - a skate shop in West Perth, with a stage converted from a skating bowl — the night had begun. Michael Triscari braced the stage to a dark room full of faces. Armed with a guitar and his voice, projecting fiery energy, he sang out melodies to the audience like a calling to his tribe. New song Underwater City delved into his life up in Exmouth, mentioning all the unique wildlife roaming around free and the contrast between bush living and his life back in Perth. He gained a positive response from the crowd with a cheer of enthusiasm.

Tom Day made it to the stage, with a room filling of people eager to hear his tales through tunes. One of the highlights of the set was Bigger Plan, a song about the life he once lived in a small country town called Dongara, working as a labourer before deciding to quit and pursue music. Throughout the set, Day dropped a foot-thump of energy to the crowd, finishing with a Mumford & Sons cover and rounding up the audience with excitement.

Next up on stage: Formidable Vegetable Sound System. Led by frontman Charlie Mgee, the band began their set by walking off stage into a gallery area while playing a ukulele and saxophone, drawing in the crowd. The pressing theme throughout the set was related to permaculture and plant life and how it affects people's lives. Mgee shared the story of the origin of his band. Originally being a member of Ensemble Formidable (a great jazzy Perth group), he found himself at an eclipse festival north east of Perth where he was asked by the organisers to produce an electric set. He decided to try out a side project he had been working on, which was a mixture of dubstep, electro swing and ukulele and the formula stuck. He challenged the crowd to get up and dance, and within five minutes the whole room filled with energy and excitement, with people jumping with joy to electro swing beats. He had great stage presence, with the entire room hooked on every word.

The final act to make it to the stage was Blue Child Collective, led by Daniel White, bringing energetic surfy tunes to the space. It was evident he had an authentic connection with each member of the band, who were in perfect sync through each beat. It was a progressive, high tempo set, with a jazzy element providedLindsay Baker on Saxophone and harmonica. White invited his partner up to the stage, who provided backing vocals to the mix, and the band finished with energetic tune Drifter. The room was full of delighted faces. Such a diverse night of talent and energy.