Meringues, Twins and Bananas

I’m not sure if Clare Bowditch had any influence over the weather yesterday, but she couldn’t have picked a better evening to host the Feeding Set’s BBQ show, with all proceeds going to the Vietnam-based Koto youth program. As Sartorial wisely pointed out, with the view of the clear night sky from the Corner Hotel’s rooftop beer garden, as well as the balmy night air, you could easily make the mistake of thinking you were by the beach – notwithstanding the intermittent rumblings of trains going by over the Swan St bridge. The catered dinner was any carnivore’s dream, with ample spit roast meats, vegetables and salads to fill the tummies of the sellout crowd. And I don’t know if anyone out there wants to sample some of the Corner’s pub fare over summer, but I’m certainly keen to venture up to the beer garden again some time soon.

A short, but really strong support came in the form of Jess McAvoy, who sounds nothing like she looks. With her straight black hair, black shirt, skinny jeans, and general rock-chick look, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Alone on stage with an acoustic guitar, she didn’t have to work too hard to transfix the audience though. I’m not sure if trying to categorise her sound would be wise, but I can say that her voice is stunning. Soulful, and clear as a bell.

Unfortunately, since Clare was in the process of losing her voice, the set was kept pretty short. However, listening to the appropriately husky, smoky versions of “Lips Like Oranges” and “Autumn Bone”, you’d barely notice that there was something amiss. The Feeding Set put as much effort into the small selection of numbers as they would during a full-length show. Like previous gigs, you again got the feeling of being in the family lounge room as part of a huge extended family. From Clare casually mentioning that she’s expecting twin boys, to her strumming away and sitting in the middle of the stage in bare feet. Despite initial confusion over its title, she got through an old Red Raku song, “Empty Pockets” with no problem, and “Divorcee By 23” was sung as though it was coming from a much older and wiser woman. On the other hand, “Homage To My Dad And The ABC” was as affectionate and sincere as always.

The short set was punctuated with bursts of chatter amongst the band. At the far side of the room, a long table with numerous auction items ranging from Big Day Out tickets to sitting in on Mick Molloy’s radio show – all up for auction to the highest bidder. About halfway along the table, amongst all the other lucrative items available, what caught this punters’ eye was the selection of sizeable cakes that had been lovingly baked by each member of the Feeding Set. For instance, there was a blackforest (courtesy of Libby’s so-secret-recipe that she can’t even remember what went into it) and a banana and almond concoction (thanks to Tim, who astutely pointed out that bananas were now becoming exotic, and that the combination of bananas and nuts was sure to attract the ladies!). Every single morsel looked delicious, but if I had the funds, I definitely would have put in a bid for Marty Brown’s stunning lemon meringue which was by far the most aesthetically pleasing to these four eyes.

With Clare and Libby’s impending births, as well as a new record in the pipeline, it’s unlikely that the Feeding Set will be doing many more live shows for a little while. Given that their shows are unlike so many others, in that they seem so strangely personal and intimate, it’ll be an absence we’ll sorely miss.