Live Review: Iluka, Bree De Rome, Kath Haling

Well, there's no better setting for tonight's trio of chanteuses. The Loft's sloping ceilings and chintz furniture allow the audience to dip back into memories of hanging out in their friend's dad's rumpus room, making it the ideal backdrop for this line-up.

Kath Haling is the first to test out the bare set-up, but any concerns about the sound are quickly put to bed. The London-dwelling Burleigh local has a set of clear, brute pipes that shine in the acoustic setting. She and cohort Marty Hall tap their bare feet as they throw their weight into dynamic strummer Breathe. Haling has great command, especially in a cover of Paloma Faith's Can't Rely On You, but her presence is mesmerising, her voice is top notch, and she's good at telling bad jokes. The only thing she doesn't have command of is some of the crowd; a thick skin and temporary deafness is needed to deflect the painfully loud personal chit chat going on in all corners.

With a near-successful stint on the X-Factor a few years back on her CV, twee yet enigmatic Gold Coast retro pop princess Bree De Rome has left the nasty 'celebrity' judges' comments where they belong - falling flat on deaf ears - and taken matters into her own very capable hands. De Rome manages to effortlessly smooth out her vintage influences into tracks with more pop-sensibility but with a engaging and mature approach to songcrafting. The slight husk in her cascading voice is a perfect intro to the jangly Alright. Full of goofy wit and with a smile as big as her laugh, De Rome knows how to work her crowd, but when bluegrass-ish numbers like Bag Of Bones crop up she adopts a worldly bittersweetness as if from nowhere, and this is where her power lies.

Tonight's headliner also has some commercial competition in her pedigree, and channels the same retrospective chic as her predecessor, but when Sydneysider Iluka aka Nikki Thorburn steps on up with her three-piece tonight it's with a confidence that seems to have been imprinted at birth, not rubber-stamped during her first record deal foray. Those lush, reverb-riddled vocals of Queens Of The Road waft up to the rafters, underpinned by some atmospheric organ, and anyone who had thought of getting their groove on takes to the sticky carpet up front. She's not a huge talker but when she does it's to introduce her beloved guitar 'Dusty', with an affectionate stroke. The many layers of much-loved single, 12th Of July sit surprisingly well in the mix, and when old single, Paper Doll gets a look in it shows just how comfortable this young lady is in embracing her Dusty Springfield/Stevie Nicks tags.