Project Description

TASH SULTANA

+ OCEAN ALLEY

@ Hordern Pavilion

08/03/19

(Live Review)

Reviewer: Victoria Lewis

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All you need is a guitar, soulful voice and a groovy wardrobe and you get Tash Sultana. Australian singer-songwriter, Sultana has taken over the globe. Selling out shows, festivals and growing her fanbase with the young and the old. She is taking her Flow State world tour back to her home country and bringing along her good mates Ocean Alley, who are also killing it right now. Sydney is her next stop, selling out 2 of her 3 shows at the Hordern Pavilion – tonight is the first show.

Northern Beaches Ocean Alley who bookmarked Triple J’s hottest 100 2018’s list is up first. Lights fade in and out, bell sounds ring out, intro music kicks in and the band walks out to screams from the crowd. Right in with Corduroy. Swaying along and feeling the instruments going right through you.

 

“Hello Sydney, fuck its good to be home” the lead singer says.

 

With that we are in with Faded It. The drums absolutely ruled and filled the room, taking us back to their first album from 2016 with Yellow Mellow. The crowd sings and dances along and the lighting cues were on point. Ocean Alley’s classic hits the spot. From the Triple J Studio to the Hordern Pavilion stage, we were treated to Ocean Alley’s Like A Version, Baby Got Back. It’s always lovely to see the cover live. It was a cocktail of reggae and blues, that is very easy to drink and didn’t disappoint.

Ocean Alley performed their latest single Strained Glass. The guitar chord is beautiful and the track sends you on a journey where you are just drifting along. Closing their one hour long set, with the number one song in Triple Js Hottest 100 2018 is Confidence. The first notes are played and the crowd screams, singing every word. Phones in the air to capture every moment and the lead singer is grooving along, doing some mic drum action. Ocean Alley‘s set was solid. What a great start to the night.

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Incense filled the room, a spiritual feeling whilst Bob Marley’s Is It Love begins to play. The crowd sings out loud. Tash Sultana walks out on to the stage bare foot with her guitar in hand. She prepares herself and we were about to embark on a two hour road trip. Opening with Seed (Intro), she had the crowd in the palm of her hands. Running on to Big Smoke, Sultana builds up the song. Watching her loop the guitar riff, synth and beatbox to create the instrumental of Big Smoke is incredible. Midway in to the song, she brings out a trumpet and dances along while playing and the energy busts throughout the room. Performing her Instrumental song Seven is another example that Tash Sultana is incredible live – not to mention her guitar shreds during Salvation.  While she was recreating this song, head bops and little movements that react to the music were present. Out of nowhere we got a new song – Can’t Buy Happiness.

 

‘You can’t buy that shit’ says Sultana.

 

Performing the song with only an acoustic guitar was soothing and sounds like another hit for Tash Sultana –  definitely one to look out for. Heading back to her first EP Notion, with the title track of the same name, her unique soulful vocal tones is what makes this song. Adding to Notion, she included a sitar and the crowd begins to clap along. A pan flute then comes in along with beatboxing at the same time. Closing out her set with the single that started it all was Jungle. The crowd sings all the lyrics back at her. She stripped back the middle section of the song and the crowd claps – taking the end verse to the floor and before you know it she’s walking off stage. Don’t fear, she comes back for an encore with Blackbird. Sitting down on a stool with her guitar it was a beautiful way to end the night.

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Tour Dates

Flow State World Tour

10/3 Sydney, Hordern Pavilion

14/3 Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl

21/3 Brisbane, Riverstage

23/3 Darwin, Mindi Beach

30/3 Fremantle, Fremantle Oval

 

Check out Wendy Robinson‘s photo gallery of the show here

Connect with TASH SULTANA
@OneBigLink

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