Live Review: Yacht, Donny Benet

YACHT brought their now four-piece act to the Oxford Art Factory for the first time in four years, as they last graced our shores as a duo. The party arrived as soon as the audience walked through the door.

For those who haven't seen Sydney favourite Donny Benet, you are missing out on something truly spectacular. Clad in suit pants and a button up shirt, Benet seduces a crowd with ease by utilising his '80s pop-disco sounds and dance moves. The suave Benet sets himself out to be every woman's dream man. Starting out the set with Treat Yourself, Donny offered to pay for his lady's trip to New York, complete with all the fine accessories she could desire. He then moved onto Sophisticated Lover, wooing the ladies with fine champagne, bow ties and Paris.

Benet, however, is no novelty gimmick. The man makes infectious pop music with technically skilled guitar work, driving synth and a jiving backbeat that had one person putting on a one-woman all out dance routine. Benet won over the audience from the moment he hit the stage and had them lingering until the end. 

The two additions to the YACHT set up were a blessing as it gave vocalists Claire Evans and Jona Bechtolt more freedom to move around the stage and the dancefloor. With the longest microphone cord ever seen, they repeatedly jumped into the crowd to dance with the audience and palm people in the forehead like an exorcist ritual – who doesn't like being hit in the face?

YACHT brought their holistic approach to the event, making sure everyone was feeling mentally, physically and spiritually well. They explained their anarchic philosophy to the crowd, ensuring everyone they could be whoever they wanted at that very moment before letting loose with pumping dance tracks that had the floor moving. Artistic visuals projected onto a screen behind the group added a whole other layer to the performance, highlighting the amount of effort these guys put into their shows to make sure their loyal audience leaves with something to remember. It definitely worked.