As always, the good vibes were abundant, this time in a West Croydon garden, with eats from Chimichurri Grill, beer from the good guys at Vale Ale, delicious wine from Hither & Yon and cider supplied by Dr. Pilkington himself (okay, maybe Dr. Pilkington wasn't there, but the cider was). Brownies, ice-cream sandwiches and mini cheese bundles were the dessert of choice throughout the evening, thanks to Four Seeds. After finally deciding I would try a brownie, I was then told I could choose from Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate. Please, just stop right there. Too many choices, so little time!
Bunting and fairy lights abundant, The Porch Sessions welcomed its first backyard with a hills-hoist, of course decorated in true porchy style. Lamps and decrotive umbrellas hung from said hoist, making this backyard just a little more fancy, without letting us forget we were in still in 'Straya.
First up on the porch was Aidan Jazzy Jones, a lovely little lad hailing from Adelaide. After a bushwalking accident and one long month and-a-half away from music, Aidan was well and truly back, baby. With an soft vibrato and Australian folk sound, the audience was captivated by his raw lyrics and powerful emotion. His guitar playing and finger-picking skills were second to none, as was his transition between delicate vocals and moments of strength. Toward the end of the set, Aidan played a beautiful song titled 'Refugee', commenting on the treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Australia. By the end of the set, we were mesmerised and a little bit in love with his hand-knitted EP covers. Bless.
Next up were lady folk legends, All Our Exes Live in Texas. Firstly, I think we should all just stop and appreciate that band name. It's bloody good. Three ladies decked out in cute-as vintage dresses hit the porch, one yielding a piano accordion, and the others with acoustic guitars and ukuleles. I anticipated some serious swooning up ahead, and I was not wrong. With an abundance of banter and delightful harmonies, these ladies absolutely nailed every component of their set. It was fun, funky and funny, and the music was mesmerising. Beginning with a song that reminded me of Seeker Lover Keeper, the audience was instantly drawn into their tight vocals and loveable personalities. I just wanted to be besties with all of them. Throughout the set, they played songs of love, lust and loss, each alternating in lead vocals and instrumentation. As much as I loved the uke, piano accordion and guitar combination, you really couldn't go past their a cappella songs. Although the four-piece was a three-piece on the night due to a missed flight and string of unfortunate circumstances, these girls still managed to put on an amazing show. Oh, and did I mention they have teaspoon merchandise? No seriously, they have teaspoons with their faces on them, that you can buy. I just want them all.
Last but not least was the lovely Jack Carty. Throughout his set, Mr. Carty played all of the favourites including Be Like The Water and The Universe. He told us a bunch of funny stories about his friend writing a short-film about a guy called Jack who played the guitar (hint: it was about him), and that time that he casually introduced Katie Noonan onto stage at a gig and everybody almost died (from happiness and excitement, I presume). He sang us a song about his wife-to-be that was all parts delightful and romantic, and finished his set with a little diddy about a candle and a spark - with appropriate audience involvement, of course. Folky and laid-back, Jack put on a beautiful set to finish the evening up pretty perfectly.
