Live Review: MANE + Pinkish Blu @ Rocket Bar

Paige Court, known by the moniker MANE, graced Adelaide with her dark presence on Friday night for her second headline tour this year. Originally hailing from Port Pirie, MANE is no stranger to our city. She’s blown us away at festivals like Groovin The Moo, Spin Off and Bigsound, and supporting big acts like Kingswood and The Temper Trap. With all that under her belt it’s no wonder that she won Best Solo Artist at the SA Music Awards just a few days ago. Along for the tour were fellow alternative sad-pop group Pinkish Blu and alt indie solo artist Jess Day.
Opening up the show with her smooth sweet voice, Jess Day charmed the crowd with her groovy indie tunes. Despite only having one single out, Waiting, she seemed to already have quite a little following. Show goers grooved and swayed along to her sad-laced chill tunes and the harmonies between her and a guitarist. For someone that doesn’t usually get around to indie music I think I have found an act to add to my regular listening. She was comfortable on stage, all of it practically second nature to her. Her realness and down to earth presence really add to her musical talent, making Jess a great opening act for MANE.

Next up was sad indie-pop band Pinkish Blu. These guys haven’t been around for long but after cropping upon Triple J Unearthed they’ve gained a lot of attention. I was fortunate enough to catch them play in Rundle Mall at one of the Levi’s live sessions last year and that’s where I really fell in love with their sound. It’s so nice to see them go from playing small gigs in Rundle to supporting acts like Endless Heights and Trophy Eyes within a year. Vocalist Brice Young opened the set with a traditional Kaurna welcome. Being the first time I’ve ever seen that done at a live gig before, I was pleasantly surprised. Pinkish Blu are such a great example of dreamy synth pop. With ethereal soft vocals and dizzying boppy instrumentals, it’s easy to get lost in the music and dance along to their heartfelt lyrics.

MANE hit the stage and straight away you’re drawn to her. This Pirie definitely girl knows how to hold the attention of a room. Her dark aesthetic and bold alto vocals instantly hook you in and had the crowd dancing and singing along to all of her songs. Despite her self-confessed dental problems, she pushed through and put on a captivating performance. Grooving out and effortlessly singing tracks like Bones, Ashes to The River and What if The Love Dies, her smooth voice encircled the room. She was quite fond of throwing in a ‘Woo!’ here and there near choruses which had people off their feet and dancing. It’s not a secret that MANE writes sad songs that you can dance to but the atmosphere changed after she gave us a trigger warning. Going solo for this next one, a song about domestic violence, the room was silent. Almost scared to make a sound. Before long she ended the show with her most notable songs, Save Yourself and Chasing Butterflies. A perfect way to end the night. Keep an eye on this girl, she’s gonna go on to do big things. I can feel it.