Live Review: Art Of Sleeping, Jesse Davison, Bedouin Sea

The belting rain didn’t hold many back as a sizable room greeted local act Bedouin Sea, who quickly hit their stride with their indie folk shuffling more than enough listeners’ feet. The band seemed eager to please, teaching the room lyrics and bringing the punters in from the back. It wasn’t a hard target for them to hit with the stomping chorus and plucky licks of Dancing In The Dust setting the mood just right for the second band.

As Jesse Davidson took to the stage, the warm bopping bass line of Big Bois Gotta Eat wove its way through the crowd, seemingly taking the room slightly by surprise, that crowd quickly moving towards the stage. Davidson appeared at complete ease with his performance. The trio are perfectly harmonious and fed through track after track of blissful indie-pop, with a brilliant and rather special cover of Elvis Presley’s Love Me thrown in for good measure. It may just be the warm delivery and no halts performance but the set felt incredibly short, a quick one-two of Flaws and Laika and the three lads were done, having gained an audience of new fans.

With the floor now well and truly shoulder to shoulder, Art Of Sleeping engaged instantly with the sweeping sounds of Empty Hands. Frontman Caleb Hodges dominated the stage, powerful rising vocals, lost in the moment performance and wonderfully dynamic playing, all bringing together a showing that was understandably met with roaring applause. As the band stated themselves, despite arguments with their management about flying over west and the band telling them to ‘get stuffed’, Perth has certainly made the trip worthwhile, happily reciprocating the feeling with sharp tone highlights of Jefferson and Voodoo along with the twinkling guitars of Burning Bright. It was hard to compete with the enthusiasm shown for favourites Above The Water and set closer, Crazy. The weather may have been completely shit, but three great bands delivering on a small local stage makes any expedition worthwhile.