Bertie Blackman, The Barfly 27/2/10

When a young woman named Bertie steps onto the stage with cat whiskers painted on her face, you could be forgiven for not expecting an overly stirring performance. However, as this feisty, petite, Australian songstress picks up her guitar and starts singing, it is immediately clear that she is about to demonstrate otherwise. 

One thing that is apparent from the off is that Bertie's live performance is extensively more exhilarating and intoxicating than her recorded work gives her credit for. Her don't-give-a-shit attitude on stage is intriguing rather than clichéd, and she sings with such a purpose it sometimes feels as though her entire being depends on it. Breathy, violin-backed opener 'The Sky is Falling' lulls the crowd into a certain state of relaxation, yet from second track ‘Thump’ the set swiftly ascends into a myriad of electronica and pop-rock, which doesn't slacken in pace until Bertie and her band triumphantly depart the stage forty minutes later.

Strong electro drum beats pulsate through the set creating more of a dance feel as the evening progresses, though the lead singer's early childhood influences of African percussion are not forgotten, and shine through in 'Heart', which is founded around a series of tribal beats and claps. Slower verses are transformed into heavy, guitar filled choruses, and soft, raspy vocals become tormented, throaty wails, continually jolting the enthralled crowd into the unexpected.

With her ability to deviate from one sound to another without seeming laboured, and the nonchalant vibe that exudes from her every pore, Bertie is everything that a lot of female artists are currently striving to be. Yet after seeing Blackman and her band it's evident many of these other pretenders still have a long way to go.

This review was originally posted on www.the-fly.co.uk