Emma Heeney with Emma Dean and Anthony Atkinson

Emma was inconsolable at the loss of her last macaroon.

(East Brunswick Club 27/01/07)

Post Australia Day celebrations can be harrowing, if not ludicrous, as you try and forget the amount of alcohol you may have consumed the previous day. Even if you don’t find yourself specifically patriotic, you do tend to overindulge.

So come January 27th, your brain sometimes isn’t ready to handle a gig of any capacity – this was my mind-set before heading to Melbourne’s East Brunswick Club to witness what would probably be the most surprising gig I’ve so far encountered. Having only heard snippets of Emma Heeney’s past exploits with Brisbane band Gorgeous, plus one or two solo performances, I was blown away at the gentle and delicate nature of her songs, that at times were soft and inviting, and at others hard-hitting.

Supported by local musicians Anthony Atkinson, whose song writing was clear and concise (although I must admit to missing the start of his set due to my slow recovery), and Emma Dean, who probably had the most impressive vocal range that I’ve heard in a female solo performance for a long time, Heeney evidently has worked hard to put together an eclectic set of new tunes and older crowd favourites.

From my cloudy-headed observations from side of the stage, and while both initial acts were fantastic, it was Heeney’s set that inspired a completely attentive audience. Playing songs from her debut solo album, Dreaming of Bridges, Heeney showed her unescapable talent and good humour throughout. Songs such as Top Shelf and The Silent Type were well received and No Colour Here incited some wide smiles.

It’s been a long time since I’ve left from an acoustic gig feeling so upbeat and enthusiastic. If Heeney and her friends are examples of the next crop of talented female musicians, Australian music is in no danger of becoming stagnant.