Live Review: George Maple w/ UV Boi @ Oh Hello

As long as you’re up for a late night, there’s no better way to kick off the weekend than with a George Maple show. The electronic songstress brought her stash of hit singles to Brisbane on Friday night along with UV Boi, and she didn’t disappoint. Doors opened at 9:30 with the 18-year-old local producer on the decks for the first few hours. The crowd seemed shy at first, growing slowly as time went on, but UV Boi worked the room with confidence, building from mellow tunes into chest-infiltrating bangers.

Closing in on 11pm, the room finally loosened up, the thudding beat of Drake’s One Dance drawing everyone to the front of the floor. It was after midnight when the lights finally went down and coloured lanterns on the ceiling lit up, the room hot with anticipation. A deep synthesiser melody made for a dramatic undertone as the band began to play, eliciting screeches of excitement from the most dedicated fans in the room, and finally Ms Maple appeared onstage dressed in a kimono-style gown.

Her confidence shone through amidst the constant flickering of the stage lights as she finally launched into the show with Sticks And Horses, the live performance every bit as dramatic as the song itself. Gliding around the stage with an air of unshakeable confidence, she had the whole room misty-eyed and moving in time to the rhythm.

The opening number was full of opportunities for Maple to show off her sweet falsetto in contrast with her warm, seductive chest register, and none were wasted. The crowd sang along to the familiar melody, loving her rap skills just as much as her soulful vocals, and a few pulled out flamboyant green feathered fans, waving them around.  After a few songs, she removed her kimono to reveal the ultimate fashion statement – a bright red lycra bodysuit worn with a confident grin.

Maple’s 2014 hit Vacant Space had the room cheering for her powerful belt, singing even louder as the beat dropped out and to make room for a few acapella lines. The production built up and shrank down throughout the song, creating a dizzying swell of rhythm and melody perfect for a late night on the dance floor. The simple lyrics made her vocals the star of the show as they rose over the deep synth beat, each track showing off her breathy high register and powerful mid-range. Paired with dramatic, purposeful stagecraft, the songs took on a new life on stage.

Bright flickering lights throughout had the crowd dancing like crazy as the edgy melody of Bury began to play. Maple’s glorious vibrato came to the fore, its strength balanced by soft, tentative instrumentation. The dreamy track had the crowd floating on the sound waves as they swayed their arms in the air. It was a testament to the strength of the performance that even as the clock ticked on well past twelve, few dared to leave in case they missed a defining moment – like, for example, a surprise stage appearance from Aussie hip hop’s main girl Tkay Maidza! Maple may have taken her time starting up the show, but this vocal powerhouse was well worth the wait, making sure no one was left wanting at the end.

Check out our Photo Gallery from George Maple’s Brisbane show HERE