Shows at during the Brisbane festival at the Spiegeltent are always special, so I wasn’t surprised that The Preatures show in support of their latest record Girlhood was no exception to that rule. The sold out venue was packed in early, and the stained glass mirrored windows that made up the Magic Mirrors tent surrounded the audience in a dreamy glow.

With no support act due to it being a Brisbane Festival Show, the band entered the stage just after 9.30pm, and jumped right into the opening chords of I Know A Girl. From the start, it was clear they had great chemistry and onstage presence – drummer Luke Davidson, guitarist Jack Moffitt and bassist Thomas Champion held together the rhythm section with fluidity, and Sarah Belkner made a surprise appearance on the synths, giving Izzi Manfredi more room to move about on the stage.

Music aside, Izzi’s outfit was almost as impressive as her voice, and only added to the overall aesthetic of the show. Clad in double leather, with shiny black pants, stiletto boots, a see through white lace shirt and heavily patched leather jacket, she looked unfathomably cool (and probably very hot under the lights).

The effervescent show didn't seem to take a breath, with song after song being performed with the kinda energy I have after four Red Bulls. Girlhood saw her lying on the stage with her mic stand, Cruel saw her perform dance moves I didn’t know were possible in the aforementioned pants, and Ordinary saw her standing on the amps singing right into an audience members face.

Besides the few better known singles from their last record Blue Planet Eyes, The Preatures mostly played tracks from their new record. The live spin on the album tracks breathed life into them, and songs like Mess It Up, Lip Balm and Cherry Ripe filled out the mid section of their set. Before playing Yanada, the song which features lyrics in the Indigenous Darug language, Izzi briefly explained the significance of the language, and also the translation of the words, which was an appreciated and respectful gesture. Nite Machine saw out their set, until the demands of the crowd brought Izzi back to the stage to play a solo version of Your Fan, and the whole band back to close with Is This How You Feel?

The Preatures certainly know how to deliver a show, and this was as impeccable example of how to have fun on a stage whilst honing musicality and top notch performance. The Preatures are a must see in your gig calendar. 

Olivia Shoesmith