Photos and words by Harriet Wensley

An elegance and youthful energy

Morcheeba fired up the stage at the Tivoli on Friday night on their return to Australia, but not before a delicate opening performance by R ‘n’ B artist Ruby Jackson.

Accompanied by vocalists Arlo Sim and Ebs, Ruby needs nothing more than her voice and a guitar to create a captivating performance.

Her set consisted of beautifully crafted harmonies, rhythmic placement, vocal control, and a charismatic conversational style of performing.

Ruby’s lyricisms tell the stories of growing up. I particularly liked her songs about friendship.

She also played originals within the jazz genre, describing beginnings that helped develop her current sound.

As a musician, I really appreciated hearing about Ruby’s process and was able to see the growth within her artistry the first time seeing her perform.

Bringing an air of elegance and some youthful energy to the R ‘n’ B scene, Ruby Jackson is definitely one to watch.

I felt as if she was a great supporting act and set up a wonderful atmosphere for Morcheeba.

Morcheeba review past gallery:

A Morcheeba ‘young listener’

In a household of music lovers, I grew up listening to Morcheeba’s 1998 album, “Big Calm”, and was delighted that the same energy I experience as a kid listening to the CD was felt within the crowd.

The Tivoli is a fantastic venue and I felt surrounded with liveliness; the crowd noticeably vibrant and friendly.

I even got a few pats on the back for being a “young listener!”

Morcheeba’s performance is a fine example of professionalism.

Skye is an unapologetic performer, carrying the stage with captivating presence and power.

Her voice is one of a kind, and immediately makes each song uniquely Morcheeba’s.

Not only that, but she was also rocking her own hand-made outfit!

Ross Godfrey’s iconic guitar lines had amazing tone and movement and the connection between him, and the supporting band was really solid.

I must also commend the freedom within their setlist and song choices, bringing out classics that they haven’t played in years and covering iconic songs including ‘lets dance’ by David Bowie and the “Neighbours” theme song.

This made us as an audience feel like we were receiving a one-of-a-kind performance.

The most notable part of the performance for me was their humorous and relaxed stage
presence.

There were moments of hilarious audience interaction, and Skye and Ross’s witty British humour went down a treat.

The quality of Morcheeba’s musicianship combined with their relaxed style of performance showed their true love for the experience of music, overall creating an elegant and sophisticated show.