The Adelaide streets were noticeably empty for a Friday night. People avoiding the mid-winter drizzle, walked closely alongside the buildings, keeping under cover of the Hindley Street shop-front marquees for shelter. Those who did brave the weather for the upstairs of Rocket Bar however, were treated to a night of audible delicacies thanks to headline act, Sydney indie-electro darling Elizabeth Rose, and two Adelaide openers Archie and Console Warriors.
The act to begin the evening’s proceedings was young upstarts Console Warriors. With their brand of grungy indie-rock, like a cross between Nirvana and Foals, they had the impressively-sized crowd moving from the very beginning of their set with the opening track “Pyjama Party”. The 3-piece outfit had the newly barely-legals at the front of the stage singing along to every song – possibly a sign that a few mates from the band were in the house that night and a few proud parents were seen haunting the back of the venue – but it would be impossible to deny that their songs are infectious in all the right ways.
Following on were Adelaide locals, Archie, with their jazz-vocals-laced electro-pop from lead singer, Annabel Weston, they were a nice tone-setter for what was to follow in Elizabeth Rose. While their slow-burn set did not get the crowd moving like Console Warriors had, the small crowd were appreciative and certainly attentive for the hometown openers.
It was roughly midnight when Elizabeth Rose popped up on the small corner stage of the Rocket Bar. Not that she needs a big stage, this pixie-like solo artist with her keys, iMac and other high-tech electro gizmos doesn’t take up much room.
It was around this time that it became noticeable how much the crowd had thinned out since the first act took to the stage two hours earlier, which is a shame. Those who stayed however, were rewarded with a killer performance from Rose who delivered a set of bassy electro-pop with thoughtful lyrics and an adorable demeanour.
Her self-produced tracks were bordering territory somewhere between atmospheric and danceable, and it was obvious that the late-night Adelaide crowd just did not know how to react to this mix. One punter was heard asking, ‘Who is this DJ?’ To which he had to be told, that this it was rather an original artist who just happens to use some of the same equipment.
Slower tracks like “Crystallise” and her remix of Flight Facilities’ “Foreign Language” were balanced out with more upbeat pieces such as “Throw Me to the Stars” and the new single “Ready” as a set closer.
As the first date on her first headline tour, this was an impressive test-run show that will no doubt help sculpt Elizabeth Rose’s sets for the rest of her touring schedule. This is definitely an act to keep an eye on and check out when she graces a stage in your town.
– Marcus Roberts
