Live Review: Twilight At Taronga: The Jezabels, Stella Donnelly

Opening the very first Twilight At Taronga show for the summer season is no small feat, but Stella Donnelly took it in her stride.

The up-and-comer, armed with just her magnificent voice and electric guitar, played a haunting set that left an impression. Keeping her mix simple and her lyrics straight to the point gives Donnelly a unique edge. However, her simplicity shouldn't be mistaken for shallowness, as the subject matter of her songs weigh down her breathy vocals — which is particularly poignant in Boys Will Be Boys. The equally excellent Mechanical Bull closed her set.

Enjoying a good frolick on stage, The Jezabels' Hayley Mary is the ultimate frontwoman. From providing the dance moves to interacting with the crowd, to having the powerhouse vocals that stitch together many excellent songs; she's got her act down pat.

Drawing from their back catalogue, tonight's set was an hour and a half ensemble of some of The Jezabels' best tracks. Dipping into an early EP for a rendition of Disco Biscuit Love, playing synth-heavy tracks If Ya Want Me and Pleasure Drive; the band know how to work the stage like seasoned professionals. So much so, that the keyboard issues that plagued them throughout their set, actually made Mary say an audible 'wow' in the middle of a song as one of Heather Shannon's keyboards had to be swapped out.

However, this nonsense didn't dampen the show, particularly when you consider just how great Mary's vocals are live. Her phenomenal falsetto soars in Mace Spray and Look Of Love, while Endless Summer and Got Velvet lets her show off the breadth of her range.

Hurt Me closed the set with a bang, before they were swayed by calls for an encore, choosing to play despite being told the animals went to bed at 9.30.