Live Review: Sahara Beck w/ Slip-On Stereo & Gabriella Cohen @ The Triffid

Sahara Beck continued her ‘Panacea’ album launch tour with an intimate Brisbane show on Friday night, bringing two very talented support acts along for the ride.

Melbourne pop songstress Gabriella Cohen was first to take the stage with a set comprised of moody tunes and sweet harmonies, the perfect appetiser to Beck’s main course. Cohen wore her hair in two plaits, a surprisingly sweet milkmaid style for a girl with an electric guitar and a penchant for edgy, emotional vocals. The honesty of her drawling vocal delivery and her refusal to be beholden to a time signature maximised the emotional impact of the performance, while her stillness on stage flooded the room with an aura of calm.

Slip On Stereo had everyone on their feet, soaking up the last few minutes of an irresistibly energetic performance.

Brisbane pop and R’n’B crew Slip-On Stereo silenced the crowd with a jazzy harmonica melody, leading into opening number Lemonade Lips. The track was almost like a jam session on stage, and the band were having so much fun that the crowd couldn’t help but move along with them. Every fresh, genre-defying track that followed was performed with as much energy, enthusiasm and charisma as the first.

During Bermuda and Talking With Strangers, frontman Zeek Power injected the set with a shot of extra confidence and fresh rhymes. Later, an unexpectedly smooth cover of the Tinie Tempah track Girls Like saw Power switch roles with drummer Ash Moore and pull it off, looking surprisingly comfortable. By their last song, Slip-On Stereo had everyone on their feet, soaking up the last few minutes of an irresistibly energetic performance.

After a short wait, the shadows of Sahara Beck and her band appeared onstage, clapping and dancing to a rock ’n’ roll intro. Oh Little Boy made a strong opening number, showcasing plenty of stagecraft, emotional vocals, and virtuosic instrumentation. Early in the set, her well-known banger Here It Comes had the crowd singing along, loving the top notes and passionate belts that she does so well.

Don’t Hold Your Breath was all about softness, silence, and leaving jaws on the floor with her charming falsetto.

When Beck finally played Mother Mother, the passion in her trademark slides was palpable, never failing to give the crowd goosebumps. The powerful moments were so much sweeter thanks to her skill with silence, using long pauses to her advantage and catching the crowd off-guard. That skill proved even more important in her heartfelt unrequited love song Don’t Hold Your Breath – a lullaby melody with a lyrical edge, it was all about softness, silence, and leaving jaws on the floor with her charming falsetto.

Beck flashed her brilliant smile during the verses of Crack Bang Bang, once again dramatising the song with her expressive vocals and movements, and followed it up with a few stylistic covers, including The Jungle Book classic I Wanna Be Like You. Her mash-up of one of her own songs with the famous Elvis tune That’s Alright, Mama generated an impressive gospel choir sound, her gutsy vocals still standing out and earning a great cheer from the crowd. Her revamped version of Oh No with a touch of David Bowie was truly something else, culminating in an incredible instrumental finale filled with lightening-speed piano improvisation.

Beck nailed every high note with precision and emotional conviction, contrasting the intensity of the chorus with soft, intriguing verses.

As usual, I’m In Love was a stand-out, performed with a glorious Western-style edge. Beck nailed every high note with precision and emotional conviction, contrasting the intensity of the chorus with soft, intriguing verses. Finishing with Everyone Wants Noise created a hypnotic energy as the band clicked in time to the soothing rhythm, casting a spell over the silent crowd.

She didn’t leave the stage after her last song, smiling as the crowd cheered louder for an encore. “I’m totally not prepared,” she joked as another guitar was handed to her, ready for one more. Sahara Beck definitely came prepared, and she delivered. From beginning to end, the performance was perfectly dramatic, filled with energy, passion, and stacks of talent. It seems a safe bet that after the ‘Panacea’ album launch tour, this vocal powerhouse will have everyone coming Beck for more.

Check out our ‘Panacea’ album review HERE

Read our interview with Sahara Beck HERE