It’s not often that a large group of drunk music lovers pile into a room, stand virtually silent and listen up for one voice. However, when that one voice belongs to Montaigne, it’s entirely understandable.
Opening with an unfamiliar tune that’s set to feature on her forthcoming album, In The Dark, the vocalist sang, “I never really knew what you meant to me,” as an ethereal synth saturated the space surrounding her. It wasn’t too long before she gifted us with her 2014 single, I Am Not An End. With perfect live production, it’s hard to believe this was her biggest headline show to date.
Montaigne’s tracks often have the instrumentals of a rock band but the vocal performances of a solo singer/songwriter. Existing And Stuff is no exception. With lyrics like “I want to be somebody who takes care of me,” the tale had everyone feeling a tad emotional. Taking it back to her Life of Montaigne EP, Pontius Of The Past had many people singing the lyrics back to her. Stripping down to a simple keys melody and vocals, Montaigne reminded the audience just why they fell in love with her in the first place.
The singer spoke about the background of A Cinematic Plea For An End, saying, “It was a plea for bullshit to stop, my own bullshit and others’”. A truly touching addition, Montaigne reached out to the crowd with her heart on her sleeve, and we were quick to reach back.
Montaigne soon moved into her funkiest song yet. The unnamed beauty boasted a ballsy bass riff and a groove not heard in her material thus far. Losing the mic stand and joining us at the front of the stage, the frontwoman was soon cracking out quirky dance moves and falling into an adventurous soundscape. Next up was a cover of Sia’s Chandelier, which more than did justice to the original.
Clip My Wings came soon after, bringing a certain Florence Welch familiarity with it. In full force, Montaigne’s clicking limbs were reminiscent of a puppet coming to life – strange and surreal, yet stunning. Questioning her audience “Would you love me?” the answer was pretty clear.
Closing the show with her latest single In The Dark, the offbeat synths and outrageous instrumentals gave us a glimpse of what’s to come from the Sydney artist. Coming back with Glorious Heights for her encore, Montaigne told us the song is about pushing yourself to the next level, no matter what comes your way. Leaving us with the lyric “I don’t mind, I’ll continue to try to be kind,” her music perfectly matched her persona.
Loved: Seeing Coco smile.
Hated: The wankers chatting at the back.
Drank: In the magic of Montaigne.
