Gig Review - Lanie Lane (31/05/12)

LANIE LANE

Live at The Hi-Fi, Brisbane.

Supported by: Steve Smyth and The Rubens

Review by Jo Michelmore

A cold night in Brisbane, it would have been easy to stay inside on the lounge wrapped in a blanket and sipping a hot beverage. As a general rule though, I think live music is worth the effort and this gig was no exception. My lounge called but my legs took me to the rainy streets of West End, where I was so happy to enter the warm doors of The Hi-Fi and lucky to witness the sweet sounds of Sydney’s Lanie Lane.

Opened by Steve Smyth (what an incredible voice, this guy is one to definitely check out) and The Rubens (I ‘liked’ on these guys on the Facebook while they were playing to remind myself to check them out later; solid blues-ish rock, the ‘like’ wasn’t a lie, I actually did like them!) but the punters were here to see one gal and they weren’t to be disappointed.

Right on time, the black curtains covering the stage were pulled to reveal a charming understated set adorned with pretty Day Of The Dead skulls and metallic mexi-style bunting. Her three piece band and an excited Lanie quickly appeared, running onto stage in a fabulous rainbow beaded jacket and tiny silver sequined shorts. She’s the epitome of cuteness with her beautiful guitar draped around her neck. Lanie launched into the incredibly catchy ‘What Do I Do,’ an awesome, fun song to set the tone of the rest of the evening. Bouncing around the stage and giggling with her band members, it’s obvious Lanie loves to perform and this love was completely and totally reciprocated by the devoted audience from the opening keys of the first song. Her band are incredibly tight, her drummer Paul Derricott (or, as Lanie calls him “DERO!”) and her double bass player Zoe Hauptman were a pleasure to watch. Her guitarist Aidan Roberts was outstanding and clearly such an incredible talent. Lanie spent much of the night interacting with him, at one stage even on her knees as they played together. It was nice to see a band who clearly admire and respect each other’s skills. (There must be mention of an absolute highlight, Lanie and guitarist Aidan performing a version of Aidan’s song , ‘The Drug,’ written for his own band, The Maple Trail. It’s a track I’d never heard before, but it gave me goose bumps; the lyrics are so beautiful and I was so glad it was on iTunes so I could download it as soon as I got home.) They swing and rock their way through an hours set, including the brilliant ‘Betty Baby’ (who doesn’t adore an ode written for a guitar?), ‘The Devil’s Sake,’ ‘To The Horses’ and we were also treated to a new song as well as her cover of The Black Keys' ‘Gold On The Ceiling.’ Lanie is super fun to watch. She chatted between songs about how her best friend was in attendance, about making forts in hotel rooms and how everyone has an inner Vicki (and her inner bogan Vicki even made an appearance). Leaving the stage for only a minute before they all bounced back out, the encore just didn’t seem enough. I could have watched for another hour and another, what a lovely way to spend a Thursday night.

Gigs like Lanie’s are one of the reasons I love live music. Sometimes it’s mind-blowing and fireworks and dancing, sometimes it’s swaying and goose bumps and comfortable. This one was a little of all of those things. Lanie Lane made the night feel like a long conversation, giggles and beverages with a friend in their lounge room and it was the perfect way to spend a winter’s eve.