Whenever two artists of similar accomplishment play together you know its gonna be a great show. Well that was the case for Friday nights gig at The Foundry with Jess Locke and Babaganouj, supported by 2/5th of Melbourne act The Outdoor Type. 

Armed with a guitar, keys and a harmonica, two guys commanded the attention of the few punters who had trickled in early to the gig. Soft a pretty, which was a bit of a contrast from the more upbeat and rockier sounds I was expecting to hear from a support, they played through their set with confidence. Playing songs like Middle Of The Road and Dirty Water, they were a nice start to the night. I imagine with their whole band their sound would be a whole lot more filled out and more punchy, which would have filled the room much better. 

Jess Locke was playing the middle slot, and she powered through her set like a force to be reckoned with. She played her whole album in full, which is a feat in 40 minutes, she started with Drive To Drink and finished with Border Security, playing the tracks in  the same order as her record. Her vocals rang out clear over her soft guitar riffs and band, although at times she seemed kinda nervous - maybe it was to do with it being the first show of her tour, maybe it was the interstate crowd, or maybe she's just that kinda gal. Nonetheless, musically her set was solid. Perhaps if she took the pressure off playing EVERY song, and interacted a little more with the audience it would have been more personal, but the crowd still seemed to eat up her every note. 

Locals Babaganouj finished up the night with their upbeat bran of pop rock. They sounded more polished compared to the last time I saw them play, and their jangly, upbeat bangers got a small mosh started at the front of the room. At times the female vocals became hard to hear - this may have been partly due to the noisy crowd, but for the most part the band had great balance and chemistry on stage. The female/male harmonies complimented the arrangement of the songs, and nice guitar tones cut through the air like a knife through butter. Seriously impressive stuff from these guys. 

Olivia Shoesmith