Live Review: The Paper Kites w/ I Know Leopard & Luke Thompson @ The Tivoli

Written by Cynthia Taylu & Claire Emmerson

Luke Thompson opened The Tivoli stage for The Paper Kites and instantly won the crowd over with his witty humour. Beginning with Everything As It Is, there was purity within his voice, a voice that said “I’ve lived a thousand lives and I’m ready for the next”. From there on everything was smooth sailing as he went with the flow, he hadn’t prepared a set list as he jokingly told the audience how he struggled with writing them. Instead of stressing about it, he admittedly distracted us as he switched from electric guitar to acoustic throughout the set, telling us about his new album which he’d made entirely on electric guitar.

One of the special parts of Thompson’s set was when he asked audience members to sing along to On a Slow Boat to China. Although not many people joined, we appreciated the initiative as he tried to bring a sense of intimacy to his set. Even by him telling us about the stories behind each song was special as it showed he really cared about the audience’s experience.

Sydneysiders I Know Leopard then ambushed the stage with fervent energy. First cab off the rank was the title track from their latest EP Another Life. Despite their celestial sonics, lead singer Luke O’Loughlin grooved vigorously and had the audience immediately hooked.

We glided seamlessly through their new material Spaceships, Perfect Picture, and personal favourite Close My Eyes. To produce the rich sounds of each track, the band juggled instruments, with keyboardist Jenny McCullagh at one point alternating between vocals, keyboard, and violin. Their blissful harmonies and melodic lines had us in a state of rapture, and ready to greet the main act.

After a short break, the lights fell and our eyes immediately drifted towards a window projected onto the back wall. We watched curiously as an unknown couple screamed silently at one another in their living room. All the while The Paper Kites, masked by the dark room, appeared on stage. The spotlight was called and we were greeted by our old friends. Huddled together in behind a lone microphone, they welcomed us with an intimate acoustic rendition of Halcyon. From there, the band assumed their usual instrument positions and awakened the audience with track Turns With Me, Turns Without Me.

Frontman Samuel Bentley found home on The Tivoli stage, which he admitted is his favourite venue in the country. However, throughout the night he was a man of few words. “I’m not going to do a lot of talking…it’s not that sort of set”. Tonight he was not to be the centre of attention, instead we were directed towards the story unfolding behind the windows. Inspired by the large glass panels in Greenwich Village NYC, they developed a looking glass into the inner sanctum of two broken hearts.

As they advanced through Too Late, Arms, and Kiss The Grass we peered into four neighbouring apartments. Some danced in their living room, while others drank coffee, smoked cigarettes, and painted portraits. Once we reach the fourth window, we saw the characters come together in a small gathering. We watch the lead character attempt to mend her broken heart with a mysterious artist, with the backing of the band’s 2015 hit singles Electric Indigo and Revelator Eyes.

Despite their attempts at happiness, we saw the darkest moments for the protagonists when the lights fell and the band played Tin Lover in total darkness. The effect was incredibly intimate and the most powerful moment of the show. As the clock struck midnight the broken hearts retired to their apartments, and the two protagonists realised their true feelings for each other during Bleed Confusion and The Mortal Boy King. Towards the end the night The Paper Kites took us back to the start, abandoning their instrument posts and standing together around the single microphone to deliver crowd favourite Bloom.

It’s hard to accurately describe the ambience within The Tivoli as The Paper Kites had gone past the point of grabbing the attention of listeners. Instead, it felt like we’d connected with them on a spiritual level. There was a certain kind of air within the room, as everyone in the crowd was completely at ease, as they loosened into their chairs. And to think this was just the beginning was something truly magical…

Time was the enemy throughout the Midnight show. As every song went past, I was desperately trying to grip onto time, to freeze those moments as I didn’t want it to end. As the show came to a conclusion I could feel the sudden impact of my heart beating as panic came when I realised the show was nearing the end. It takes a certain kind of band to effortlessly connect with people and take them on a raw journey.

With no bullsh*t, just good old fashion music and an amazing visual display, The Paper Kites took us out of this world to somewhere both emotionally moving and amazing.

Check out our Photo Gallery HERE and our interview with The Paper Kites HERE