I will be the first to admit that I’m hard to impress. I don’t want to come off as a snob, but in general I don’t get very excited by new things, or at least I don’t like to show it. That’s why when I ventured to The Tivoli on a crisp Wednesday evening in my super sexy gig get up (quilted dress, turtle neck, woollen beanie and thick beige socks) my gal-date for the evening questioned why I hadn’t just stayed at home wallowing in self pity after developing a case of the sniffles overnight.

She was, of course, excited at the prospect of witnessing a potentially powerful performance from one of the hottest bands of the year, like any normal person would be. I on the other hand was more excited about having a drink in hand and scouting local dude potential.

As we entered the smoky room I realise my evening plans have potential to fly out the window. An awkward ‘Gang of Youths’ is on stage and although I don’t personally enjoy their style, I can appreciate the passion they have for performance and they play a strong and tight set to an equally strong fan base.

Approaching the bar, I over hear a middle aged man say it’s been a busy year for the gang ‘Yeah man, they played SXSW AND they’ve supported Vampire Weekend and Frightened Rabbit this year alone! So rockin.’ He catches my eye and gives me a creepy smirk that suggests he’s just reliving his Clapton lady loving heydays in the late eighties.

Drink happily in hand (red wine to be classy, plastic cup to keep it cool n’ casual) I quickly escape and find a place at the back of the heavily packed arena.

I should mention at this point that before I had accepted the invitation to bop along tonight, I had never listened to The Jezabels. Yeah I know, most unprofessional reviewer ever, BUT I thought it may be a refreshing experience to witness a group live without any expectations in place and boy did it pay off.

It’s easy to see why there is a lot of lady-loving going on in the house tonight – lesbihonest, dude scouting potential has well and truly flown out the window – as Haley Mary, her sequin jacket, and her gang of merry men take to the stage (by merry men I mean guitarist Sam Lockwood, percussionist Nik Kaloper and keyboardist Heather Shannon – clearly not a man)

Lockwood’s guitar work is showcased spectacularly in the opening of their hit ‘The Brink’ as Mary’s distinct vocals echo around the intimate space, making it feel as though they are performing in my living room. A chatty pair of girls in front of me make me realise they are unfortunately not but I don’t notice for the rest of the night as I am to entranced by Mary’s set of spectacular pipes and her major grooving skills – obviously she took a few tips from Iggy and Mick before being rudely interrupted by Karen O who also gave her a good dose of voice training.

I guess it paid off because her haunting vocals are the standout for me and they well and truly pick up throughout the night in old favourites like ‘Endless Summer’; ‘She’s So Hard’ and ‘Hurt Me’ and in fresher pop hits ‘The End’ and ‘Look of Love’, returning after a strong encore chant and bringing it home with ‘Catch Me’. If you’re wondering why I’m so well read up on a band I just boasted not knowing anything about I’d like to give a special shout out to my lady date KM who creepily whispered song titles into my ear all night.

I can’t say I’m going to go totally fan girl over The Jezabels from here on out, but I have since heard a few of their jams on the radio and found myself turning up the volume and pulling out a few questionable hip wobbles of my own in ode to my smoky night with Mary and her very merry men.

Words: Leila Amirparviz