Review + Snaps: Banoffee |Roxanne Parlour, Melbourne

In its most recent instalment, Good Manners brought a huge lineup to the Roxanne Parlour last Friday night. The night showcased some of Australia’s best upcoming electronic musicians, to the tune of Dro Carey, Lossless, Habits and of course Melbourne’s own, Banoffee. It was the hometown leg of Banoffee’s national tour, one of her last shows before she heads overseas and the first night Melburnians were able to spend with their hometown hero in a short while.

Given the venue and the night, it wasn’t surprising that the room packed out within it’s first few hours of opening. Punters were in for a good one, and that’s most certainly what they received. Openers Habits kicked off the night with some chill tunes and synth that got the ball rolling for the acts to come. Brooke Powers followed (who also played a second round after Banoffee), pushing things into a higher tempo and getting the vibe perfectly ready for what was to come.

It was pretty evident that the vast majority of the Roxanne Parlour’s attendees were there for Banoffee. She was the name on everyone’s lips, and I’ve yet to see a nightclub crowd in a small setting thicken that fast before a set. If you’ve seen her before, the calibre of her set would be delightfully expected. As always, she delivered blended beats and layered synth that are as chill as they are frenzied, as soothing as they are energizing. If this was your first time seeing her, then you’ve likely found one of your new favourite Melbourne artists.

For a solo artist with as it stands, not too much backing- Banoffee’s music is so refined and perfectly crafted it’s wholly obvious to even the most distracted listener that she is a perfectionist in her field. She demonstrates complete mastery of her tools, blending her unique howling vocals with synths that are completely specific to her style. It all gels so well together, and remarkably sounds even more on point in a live setting.

Gigs at nightclubs can get tedious, between the punters spilling drinks and terrible smokers room conversation, it’s not the ideal place to be reviewing an artist. However this time around, the dingy room and packed crowd seemed perfectly suited to Banoffee’s style. It all fit well together, so for once the setting wasn’t an outlier. This may be a testament to the superb nights that Good Manners usually run, but in this case I’m going to give it up to Banoffee, one of the artists that Australia genuinely needs to keep an eye on.

Photos by Ben Cvoro at Banoffee's Sydney show 

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