Abby Dobson (gig)

Abby Dobson supported by Melanie Horsnell
The Vanguard, Newtown (6th May, 2006)

The radiant Ms Dobson is always at the top of my list to see live, mostly because she only plays a handful of times a year and hasn't yet put out a solo album. However, word is that she's signed up with a label and is quite a way towards recording her songs, which accounts for this more dynamic set.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. Support act Melanie Horsnell has been around on Sydney's live scene for years now with her innocuous blend of folk rock balladry. It's easy to let your ears gloss over her sound but more rewarding if you pay attention to plaintive lyrics delivered with a tinge of melancholy, some of which were inspired by "listening to the Boyz II Men Best of album". She's a quirky one.

After coming up to the mezzanine to say hello to the folks sitting in front of Stuart and I, Abby brightened the stage with a swish of her angelic white dress. It's hard to say what was different. She's certainly had guests playing with her before, such as last year's Christmas shows when there was a mini Leonardo's Bride reunion, even Naomi from CODA is now a regular fixture. But a cello, a violin, a xylophone and Paul Mac on piano combined with Abby's earthy, dulcet tones and guitar made the songs more than what they've been before.

For starters, it was the usual set list shuffled a bit plus Paul Mac's 'Gonna Miss You' and 'Fall' from Angel Blood (one of my favourite tunes from that album) but there was an indescribable synergy that seemed to lift the performance beyond the usual, comfortable state. The effect, as I mentioned before, was dynamic.

Even with just piano accompaniment, the songs seemed richer and more focused, perhaps layered with something more than music. The strings suit her style and I do hope that she keeps favouring them over drum and bass. It's hard to label her style, just as it was always difficult to label Leonardo's Bride. Abby Dobson has turned a different corner, lyrically and emotionally, but she's still cut from the acoustic pop cloth. And that's far from a bad thing when she comes up with this type of gig.

P.S: I'm still annoyed about the timing - support comes on at 9pm, plays for 30 mins, followed by a 30 min interval before the main act. It's just so hard to get a decent seat on the mezzanine at 10pm so usually whoever I'm with and I have to eat first and then kill 90 mins (from 8:30pm) warming the seats with a decent view. No money, no drinks.

**** - more here than there has been before; a polished performance