Live Review: Tash Sultana, Lyall Moloney

Newtown Social Club was filled to capacity tonight, as Melbourne's Tash Sultana took to the stage, supported by Sydneysider Lyall Moloney, to perform their second of three sold-out Sydney shows.

Lyall Moloney kicked off the night, with a showcase of his charismatic vocals and new tunes from his forthcoming album. Promising instrumental layers and contagious beats ensured that everyone could get in the spirit and join the pre-party boogie.

Ambient lights filled the crowd with blues and reds and, like huddling around a tiny fire, the crowd gathered towards the small stage, eager to be taken on a journey with Tash Sultana. It wasn't long before they were greeted with the progressive, multi-instrumental dimensions of her first track Big Smoke.

Guitar riff loops began, overlapping in time, as Sultana dashes between two microphones for vocals and reverbs, keyboards and a drum pad. Flicking her dreadlocks downwards, she pulls the microphone off her stand and beatboxes an even deeper layer to the already full-sounding tune.

Sultana's passion and animation creates the stage presence of a full garage band and far exceeds the standard abilities of a solo performer. The audience thrives on it, feeding on every raw, echoed chorus and delicate strum of the guitar.

"I love you guys too," she smiled and replied to the vocally awed crowd.

But that was not the end of the instrumental extravaganza. Throughout the show she brought out over ten different musical instruments including a twelve-string guitar, American panpipes and Arabic Oud, all played with astonishing precision and ease. "I love performing on weeknights," she cheekily remarks, "Everyone isn't fuck-eyed."

Sultana treated the fans to extended renditions of Notion, Synergy and Jungle, as well as number of unreleased tracks including a chilling dedication to her late grandfather. Seamless transitions between genres became embedded in each track, taking the crowd from heavy bass to isolated acoustic melodies within a matter of seconds.

It is obvious how Sultana's honest and raw capabilities capture the sentiment of anyone who witnesses her performances and she certainly deserves to play sold-out gigs for a long time to come.