On Wednesday night Brixton was treated to its own small slice of Australia as two of the current hottest properties from down under gave fans at the Academy a night to remember.
Support acts don’t always manage to draw the biggest crowds but several people were already feeling the buzz as Cleopold took to the stage. Backed by just a drummer, the Aussie music-maker kicked off the evening with all manner of positive vibes to ensure that the rapidly growing army of fans were in the best mood possible. A stream of impressive tracks was broken up only by moments of bantering with his audience which appeared to come so naturally to a man who now looked well at home. His belting tune ‘Scarlet‘ resonated throughout the arena and, by the time he left the stage sadly all too soon, he had definitely won himself a fair few new admirers.
But the centrepiece of the evening was always destined to be the set from the sensational Chet Faker who didn’t show even a hint of failing to match up to sky high expectations. His set came bookended by the first two singles he has (and will be) releasing under his own name – Nick Murphy – as he signalled his intention for the days ahead. With a sound so smooth you could have been forgiven for thinking it was coming straight from the record he absolutely dominated the room and as he sparked up ‘Talk Is Cheap’ at a piano under a solitary spotlight the hoards before him went utterly berserk. Balancing a fulfilling full band sound with tender moments of solitary piano our gracious host gave his adoring fans exactly what they wanted and more – even managing to fit in special guest Marcus Marr – as he showed why he’s currently such a dominant force in the musical world. Without a doubt, what comes next will be very interesting indeed.
Jordan Desoisa
We Close Tonight 