Live Review: The Audreys, Tashi

Mojos on a Sunday night is the perfect place to be after any sort of weekend but particularly if you want a place that feels like home. Set up tonight with a coffee shop vibe, it promised a cosy singer-songwriter line-up and it didn’t disappoint.

Fremantle's own darling, multi-instrumentalist Tashi (Tashi Hall) took to the stage, bringing with her a feeling of warmth and sunshine that didn't let up throughout her set. Self-described as 'alternative indie upbeat folk', Hall, in fact, defies genre - she is unmistakeably Tashi. The highlight of the set was when Hall was joined by Cecilia Brandolini; Hall's voice, distinctive and lovely as it is, was transformed into something else again when they harmonised together, establishing the perfect mood for The Audreys’ set. 

For some artists, their live act doesn’t come up to the high standard heard in their recordings, while with others the live experience is so vivid it can never be captured in a pristine studio. Rarely the artists are equally good in both settings but the multi-award winning act The Audreys fall bang into that category.

Taasha Coates and Tristan Goodall have been performing together for over 12 years and with a back catalogue of four albums, they had a wealth of material to draw from. From the start, they heralded the often hilarious mood of the night with Coates announcing that "just to be arseholes, we’re going to start with our saddest song". Launching into Lonesome Valley, nothing prepares you for the first time you hear Coates sing live. It has to rank as one of the most evocative, transcendent voices in Australia, her eyes and hands echoing the words, driving the lyrics deep into our souls. Goodall’s voice was a perfect foil, his musicianship superb and despite the often gut-wrenching lyrics, he injected added humour to their set.

Despite crisscrossing the country for the past few months, The Audreys sounded as fresh and on point as if it was the beginning of the tour. They played some songs from all their albums (including Coates' solo recording from last year), they good-naturedly took requests from the punters and even made use of someone’s phone to google half-forgotten lyrics. Highlights were crowd favourites You & Steve McQueen, Banjo & Violin and Oh Honey.

Final song and encore Nothing Wrong With Me was the perfect finish to a memorable night.