Mental health is imperative to ensuring the health of the heart and soul, and I believe that its importance is becoming increasingly realised in today's media. The speeches between the acts were touching, and definitely highlighted the importance of the event, as well as bringing back the music lovers to why this event happened in the first place - to raise awareness for mental health problems, and assure people that mental health issues can and will get better. Unfortunately I don't have many (good quality) photos from the evening, so I've added a few that aren't too embarrassing. Unfortunately iPhone + sitting fairly close to the stage does not equal great pictures.
Acid T was the opening act and featured ukulele players galore. Not much to say here other than these people seemed so damn happy and they definitely put everyone else in a great mood - fitting, considering the event. There was also some epic recorder playing popped in there - I swear I never sounded like that in primary school.
Fox Cat Rabbit was the following act, and while I had never heard of them before (apparently I've been living under a rock?) I was very impressed. With cute songs and charming vocals, Fox Cat Rabbit is exactly my kind of music and I'll definitely having a pursue through iTunes. The duo is made up of Bernadine Grigson and Keira Jane Ephraims and they were adorable and charming (can I have their beautiful full skirts please?!). I love acoustic folk music, so this band was right up my alley. Personal favourites from their set include "Are You Happy Now?", "Pyramids" and their cover of "Brand New Key". One thing about these girls that sets them apart would have to be their actual musical talent - while most people in bands can sing, their harmonising and use of rounds really made their performance into such an art form. Definitely more to come from these two.
Next up, The Seals. Those who regularly read Laura Robin (anyone?) will know that I've seen The Seals twice before and loved their performance both times. For a more detailed write up on this Perth based band, I reviewed their Ellington performance here. While they were missing fiddler Charlie McCarthy, this band once again put me in a great mood with their hand clapping tunes and onstage banter. Something that I really enjoy about this band is the array of instruments that keep popping out - violin, double bass, guitar, banjo, bones, mandolin... I'm waiting for the bagpipes, personally. I loved their renditions of "I'll Fly Away", "Big Scoity" and "Little Sadie".
And then, the main act: British India. Not going to lie, I had never listened to anything by this band before but I was lured to the event by a promise of folky, bluegrass opening acts, a picnic (food? Okay!) and the evening off study. However, while I had no expectations for British India, I really enjoyed this band. While indie rock is not usually my cup of tea, I loved bobbing along to their songs - two rows from the front, none the less.
If you're looking for a British India review from someone who knows what they're talking about when it comes to this kind of music, I'd have a flick through here, however if you're after a few words from a girl who loves her pop, singer/songwriter and folk, you've come to the right place. While their edgy and moody vocals are not necessarily something I could listen to day in, day out, I definitely enjoyed this performance. The songs that stuck out the most for me were "Summer Forgive Me", "Vanilla" and "Run the Red Lights". Not surprisingly, these are probably their most "pop" songs, or at least those that are most up my alley. While I'm told British India usually plays at 18+ club events, they put on a good show for their only performance in Perth.
So, that's my review done. To celebrate Mental Health Week, I'm going to try and spend more time in the sun (before it gets too hot for me to go outside without burning to a crisp...far out) as well as taking time out to read and relax before the nice little cave of uni assignments I have built falls in on me. That time of the year, eh?
