With Molly Payton, Lucian Rice, Judah Kelly
The fringe CBD venue founded and funded by irrepressible musician and producer Joel Little marked its first year with a stunning array of youthful exuberance on the Friday night of its celebrations.
The captivating Molly Payton and her crack band headlined the show after a rollicking debut for Lucian Rice and the spine-tingling pure pop vocals of Judah Kelly.
Molly was dancing and captivated alongside the rest of the good-sized crowd at the intimate venue for Rice and Kelley … I fuckin’ loved that… and joked that she could be upstaged by her two supporting acts.
No chance of that with the warmth and depth of her song catalogue that’s evolved and expanded since her teenage EP Slack, and the breakout single Honey, in 2021.
Little would have been delighted with his vision of providing a warm live venue and state of the art recording studios in Morningside have helped boost the career prospects of such prodigious talents.
New shoegaze with hushed vocals, catchy hooks and lashings of fuzzy guitar started the evening in searing fashion from a shy but endearing Lucian Rice.
It was a short sharp set for the four-piece band, Tom on guitar, Tanya on bass and Harry on drums. Clearly at the start of their musical journey.
The likes of Ride, Suede and My Bloody Valentine came to mind as they attacked the opening tracks, including a track he introduced as Smells Like Teen Spirit, then playfully confirmed it wasn’t afterwards.
He gave a shout out to the one and only Molly Payton and drew a few oohs from the growing crowd with his intro to This One Means the World to Me before launching into another rip-roaring thrash of guitars and driving rhythms.
Can’t You See, a slower track with sonic explosions, a standout before launching into a groove for their first single due out this week, Spineback.
Then it was all over in a flash of smiles after a set of six songs.
The Big Fan buzz was getting louder as the genre switched to emotive pop and the amazing voice of Judah Kelly leading a five-piece band, and it didn’t take long to get hooked.
She launched into a heartfelt ballad with acoustic guitar full of regrets. I Hate the way I look at you with very grown-up lyrics. I tell the pretty girls you’re fine. You don’t notice. You don’t know me.
Kelley switched to electric guitar as she was joined by her guitarist brother Levi, keyboardist Tiara Kelly, and the rhythm section of Ezra Donnelly and Louis Graham, for the country feel of the up-tempo track When I’m not there.
I write a lot of heartbreak songs … this is one of the saddest as she switches to the keys and the goosebump factor rises with her effortless reach on Can’t Keep Waiting.
Jazz blues are part of the mix before she launches into the gorgeous Roses. Probably the only positive song and very special to me.
Two more tracks followed including a closer Clearence, with a rockabilly feel that this incredibly talented young woman can’t wait to release.
That set the stage nicely for the main attraction and after a lengthy delay Molly Payton made her entrance, clearly loving the way the night was unfolding, along with her three fellow band members and straight into the guitar driven indie-pop song Going Heavy.
She’s a striking and down-to-earth presence on stage. Anyway, I’m Molly. Nice to meet you.
A new track Accelerate got the now-packed venue humming along, driven by a mean guitar hook.
Her band is tight and clearly enjoying the vibe groovy bass, propulsive drums and some mean licks from the lead guitarist.
The pace slowed for a lullaby-like intro then a new single coming out Thursday called Asphalt. A seriously catchy slow burner.
She tells us she’s never played a full hour before and sends the band off for a beer break for two solo numbers showcasing her singer songwriter range solo with electric guitar.
The band returns, the crowd’s right into it and singing along for a tasty midtempo track Handle.
Suddenly it’s 11:15pm and there are still three tracks to go. The delicious indie power pop concoction Honey finishes the night on a serious high.
Molly Payton has already featured on bigger stages than Big Fan’s, but this will rank up there. She will be on the star-studded bill at Laneway Festival in February. Check out her website https://www.mollypayton.com/ for details of other gigs.
She’s also got a wealth of incredible material for her debut album due for release in early 2024.
A night to remember for the thoroughly intimate venue to herald Year One and counting, for what’s already famous as one of the city’s prime live venues.
Chris Forster