Live Review: Asta, Montaigne, Sioux

It was disappointing how sparse the crowd was at Manning Bar for the Sydney leg of Asta's Dynamite tour. Supported by Sioux and Montaigne, two equally talented aspiring musicians, this line-up should have packed the house not emptied it. But you know what, all you lazy Sydney peeps? You missed out. Big time.

Both Montaigne and Asta got their break on triple j's Unearthed High in 2012, with the latter snatching the winning title, making it a touch on the awkward side when Montaigne stole the show last night. Playing a selection of songs from last year's EP Life Of Montaigne as well as some new unreleased tracks, Montaigne proved she's worth all the hype that's been building around her since last year. New song, What You Mean To Me a fresh, energetic observation on first loves was well received as was the dramatic I'm A Fantastic Wreck, which bordered on performance art thanks to Montaigne's theatrical moves onstage. It was her effortless cover of Sia's Chandelier, however, that stopped everyone in their tracks, her vocals seamlessly hitting all the high notes.

So... poor Asta having to follow that act, right? To her credit Asta is a great singer and an energetic performer but there was something about her performance that seemed artificial. It was hard to concentrate on her pretty flawless voice when she had so many other things going on. From her Lady Gaga eye make-up to her odd clothing choice (her flared pant and singlet combo was very All Saints) to her weird hand-dance moves, it was hard to tell whether she was trying to emulate that typical rock star performance or parody it.

To be fair she was entertaining to watch, and she does have a killer voice. When she sang hits like Escape and her winning Unearthed track My Heart Is On Fire, it was easy to see why she won. Her voice has a maturity and intensity that exceeds her age and hearing it live is a very joyful experience. She premiered a few unreleased tracks that also showed a lot of promise, with an interesting '80s sound beginning to take form. The big thing for Asta is to find her own persona on stage, rather than trying to be a carbon copy Stevie Nicks or Madonna.

The most exciting thing about this show was that it consisted of three young female singers who are all absolutely nailing it on the Australian music scene. It's unfortunate that there weren't more people there to show support and enjoy a night of great live music. All three musicians are on the road to great things and this was the perfect setting to experience their music first hand before they start doing bigger shows.