Birdy takes flight at packed out gig

Singer Birdy filled Melbourne's Palais Theatre to the rafters with her extraordinary pipes from the moment she sat down at her piano. Above, Birdy performs in Amsterdam last year. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

IT?S fair to say that Birdy is a young woman of few words.

From her assured stage performance, powerful vocals, well-crafted covers and promising originals the only thing that draws attention to the 16-year-old British singer-songwriter’s tender years is the fact she uttered not a word until after her second song and thereafter limited herself to the most perfunctory of introductions and thank-yous.

But to be fair, the sizable, if a little subdued crowd on hand at Melbourne’s Palais Theatre on Monday night didn’t come to hear the singer born Jasmine van den Bogaerde spin yarns and crack gags - they came to hear that voice.

And the prodigiously talented teen didn’t disappoint, filling the venue to the rafters with her extraordinary pipes from the moment she sat down at her grand piano to play a compelling solo version of The xx’s Shelter, the first of many covers she has made her own on her chart-topping, twice-platinum selling self-titled album.

Having performed solo at the Logies on Sunday night and after a whirlwind promo tour last year, Birdy brought a band with her this time.

The versatile four-piece - drummer, cellist, guitar/keyboardist and guitar/bassist - helped flesh out the songs to give a better representation of the album and also added a variety and urgency that papered over the occasional flat spot and stayed mostly on the right side of not upstaging the main attraction.

The cellist in particular added an extra dimension with some urgent work on Phoenix’s 1901 and a solo on the final track of the main set - The National’s Terrible Love - that was so frenzied it knocked his hipster hat to the floor. He and the dextrous female acoustic guitarist/keyboard player also provided some sterling back-up vocals that lifted the Fleet Foxes’ White Winter Hymnal somewhere special.

As with many rising stars touring with just one album behind them, Birdy played every last track - and had enough in reserve to comfortably fill out a set of just over an hour that didn’t outstay its welcome thanks to her movie soundtrack contributions to The Hunger Games and Brave. She dutifully threw in the John Butler Trio’s What You Want, which was added to a local rerelease of the album.

Unsurprisingly, fans were made to wait until the encore for Skinny Love, the song that made her a star in Australia - and they duly went nuts. The song, which has sold more than 400,000 copies here, was originally recorded by US folk act Bon Iver but oddly, Birdy’s version was thrust into the local limelight when Bella Ferraro sang it on last year’s X-Factor - a cover of a cover.

Much has been made of Birdy’s success with what is essentially a covers album and by extension, a covers show. The originals she played during the show were by no means disgraced or out of place - but nor were they among the highlights.

She is undoubtedly a talent, but it might take an album of her own material to see just how great. She certainly has time on her side.

Birdy plays Hamer Hall on Tuesday; Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide, Wednesday; Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets: Livenation.com.au

SET LIST
1. Shelter - The xx
2. I’ll Never Forget You – Francis and the Lights
3. 1901 - Phoenix
4. White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes
5. Without A Word - Birdy original
6. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – The Postal Service
7. Learn Me Right – written with Mumford and Sons for Brave soundtrack
8. Young Blood – The Naked and Famous
9. What You Want – John Butler Trio
10. Just a Game – written for Hunger Games soundtrack
11. People Help The People - Cherry Ghost
12. Terrible Love – The National
ENCORE
13. Skinny Love – Bon Iver
14. Comforting Sounds – Birdy original
15. Fire and Rain – James Taylor
 

View the original article here