Live Review: Alabama 3

Brixton oddity Alabama 3 have never quite managed to get a foothold in Australia. This was only their second visit out here as a full band and both trips have come a long time after the band scored the theme song to hit series The Sopranos. It's what the group is best known for, but 2012 is a little late to be using that as a selling point after all these years. It's a shame because the eight-piece band was in fine form at the Manning Bar, playing their intriguing blend of Americana gospel and blues and UK acid house.

Support duo The Bullets played a far simpler form of the blues. Pairing an electric guitar with an acoustic guitar, the two musicians shared mic duties, swapping singing leads even though one of the guys sounded far more comfortable in the role than his bandmate. While the sound was big, there was a strong sense of Dave Matthews fandom running through the set and it was borne out when the pair covered Bartender to close.

Alabama 3 looked as dishevelled and partied out as ever. They've always been a band that looks like they've just stepped off the set of a remake of A Clockwork Orange, while vocalist Aurora Dawn cut a very striking Grace Jones-esque figure. But regardless of appearances, Alabama 3 certainly had what it takes to get Manning Bar moving. Getting rid of Woke Up This Morning (i.e. The Sopranos song) early, the band's heady mix of danceable beats, Deep South prosthelytising and drug, alcohol and wry religious references made it an oddly suitable gig for the Easter weekend. Though the Reverend D Wayne Love cut a particularly shambolic figure, his partner on the mic Larry Love was in fine voice and Dawn was the perfect backing vocalist to up the soul vibe, even as she took swigs straight out of a rather large bottle of wine.

For the older fans, the back catalogue was dug into; Hypo Full Of Love, Mao Tse Tung Said and even Mansion On The Hill got a run, alongside favourites Too Sick To Pray, Woody Guthrie and Vietnamistan. And by the time the band left after their encore, the place really felt like Reverend D Wayne had given everyone his Easter blessing.