Live Review: Wagons, The Toot Toot Toots, Jemma & The Wise Young Ambitious Men

Jemma & The Wise Young Ambitious Men start the evening with a short, sweet set. Despite their name, there are no less than four women in the nine-member line-up. The extended group allows welcome inclusions of country favorites including banjo and lap steel guitar. Jemma Rowlands herself stays front and centre with hands on hips, letting us know what's what, over the top of the soft sweet tones of the band. The blood red roses on her black dress perhaps hint at what will come in the next act.

The Toot Toot Toots remain faithful to gritty country subjects like duels, beloved daughters, lovers and lynch mobs. When you think of country music, the first instrument that comes to mind probably isn't the trombone, but the Toots use it sparingly and to good effect. Even more distinct are the two lead singers who bounce off of each other's vocal style, one clear and crisp, and the other gravelly. This makes for a hugely entertaining show, which is reinforced by the storytelling content of the lyrics, with each line unfolding a scene of heartache or gunshots.

When Wagons bring their music to the stage, the audience bring their love, being familiar with both the songs and the lyrics to come. Henry Wagons attracts this type of adoration through his charm, stage presence, self-deprecating sense of humour and some mighty fine music. The show is billed as an album preview and the band let slip that they are due to enter the studio next week with Mick Harvey as producer. The core members of Wagons have been carving their own path through contemporary music for quite a few years now and judging by the audience response, the new disc can't come out soon enough.

With a couple of solid albums and plenty of live shows behind them, Wagons know how to entertain. Rolling through crowd favorites such as Drive All Night Till Dawn, Never Been To Spain and Goodtown, this is as much a sing-along session as it is a performance. The encore provides the opportunity to branch out with a vocal piece by drummer Si Francis and A Hangman's Work Is Never Done from Henry's solo album. This is a gentle ending however, as following continual prompting they had already unleashed the big, bold Willie Nelson song to warm everyone's hearts.