The choice of supports was interesting. Two quintessentially Australian acts – Melbourne’s Jack The Fox duo and Byron Bay’s Kyle Lionhart – bringing didgeridoo-infused open string acoustic and roots/folk melodies respectively. In all honesty, the supports did not quite fit the music of Radical Face, except for the shared classification as singer/songwriters. However, their performances were well executed, and lent to the evening’s theme of excellent musicianship.
Ben Cooper took to the stage with the backing of a number of his close friends. Together, Radical Face presented the audience with a muted drumkit, viola da gamba, keyboard and number of other instruments to accompany Cooper’s acoustic guitar and vocals. The casual exchange of instruments between various band members helped to create a relaxed feeling for the performance – like fans were watching a few mates having a jam session.
At the core of Radical Face’s creative output is Cooper’s storytelling. Cooper has weaved himself a fictional universe across his recent releases, and he gave snippets of context for each song. He was a natural onstage, with his dry sense of humour and a desire to meaningfully interact with the audience.
An allergic reaction saw Cooper cut his final song short. But even that was handled expertly. After a dose of antihistamines, the band returned onstage and performed a cover of Not in Nottingham from Disney’s Robin Hood, complete with antics from the band members.
Radical Face played a good performance, but the musical talent isn’t what was most memorable. What will be remembered most was the relaxed, intimate environment that Cooper and his band managed to create. Concert-goers left feeling like they had just watched a living room performance from one of their close friends. The creation of that atmosphere is a truly impressive feat.
Highlight: 10/10 banter from Ben and the band.
Lowlight: The intoxicated pair towards the front could have made out a little less violently.
Crowd favourite: Despite all expectation that Radical Face’s acclaimed track Welcome Home would be the crowd favourite, Not in Nottingham seemed to take the cake.
