Vera Blue
Wednesday 26 August
Northcote Theatre
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Jem Cassar-Daley starts off the night by bring her natural warmth to the stage as she pairs her performance with candid stories about the real-life experiences behind her songs.
From ‘Changes’, inspired by the all-too-familiar spiral of discovering your partner has an ex, to ‘The King of Disappointment’, written after getting dressed up for a date only to be ghosted, Jem proves she has a knack for turning awkward romantic moments into clever, entertaining songs. Her self-aware humour is also on full display in ‘Clichés’, where she crams every breakup line imaginable into one song.
There’s a more personal side to the set too, as Jem performs a new song called ‘Into Sunsets’ from her upcoming debut album, ‘tattoos used to come off in the pool’ that’s due for release this week, which she describes as a collection of stories from the past few years of her life. From turning the chaos of dating, heartbreak and relationships into songs that feel personal, funny and instantly relatable, Jem is making a strong impression as a singer-songwriter.
She rounds out her set with a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, creating one of the set’s most communal moments getting the crowd singing along with her.
Vera Blue transforms the Northcote Theatre into a world of dark romance, theatricality and emotional release, delivering a career-spanning set that celebrates her new album, Modern Rituals.
Emerging beneath deep red lighting in a striking gothic-inspired ensemble, she looks every bit the otherworldly pop star with a fitted black corset-style bodice flowing into a voluminous skirt, topped with oversized distressed ruffled shoulder pieces that resembled dark wings. The dramatic silhouette pairs with her long flowing red hair and the crimson glow of the stage, set the tone for a performance that is both visually captivating and emotionally charged.
Opening with new songs ‘Brittle Wings’ and moving into ‘Parallel Desires’, Vera Blue wastes little time introducing the audience to the world of her new record. “Welcome to Modern Rituals,” she declares before unleashing another new track ‘In My Head’.
She reflects on what the album means to her after what she describes as a “crazy week”, explaining that Modern Rituals explores the small emotional patterns and rituals people turn to in order to survive, exist and cope with the world around them. “It’s incredibly human. I feel like we all experience this,” she says.
This theme carries through the night’s setlist, which moves between the introspective new material and fan favourites in what she perfectly describes as “the emotional whiplash fuckery” of songs as she continues with songs including ‘Imprints’, ‘Private’, ‘Lie to Me’ and ‘Mended’. Vera Blue’s vocals are pitch-perfect on every note.
The main set reaches an undeniable high with ‘Rushing Back’, her enormous collaboration with Flume, before Vera Blue returns for an emotional encore. Speaking of the passing of Dolly Parton earlier in the day, she pays tribute to the country music icon with a beautiful rendition of ‘Jolene’, recalling that she had previously performed the song during her time on The Voice. She closes the night with another memorable cover with her recent triple j Like A Version take on Radiohead’s ‘Creep’.
Vera Blue demonstrates just how much her artistry has evolved while retaining the vulnerability and intensity that has always made her music so compelling. Modern Rituals explores the ways we navigate life’s emotional chaos and tonight Vera Blue turned that chaos into something powerful, dramatic and completely mesmerising.
Words and photos by Michael Prebeg
