Katie Noonan Holds Spellbound Her Audience In The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Aurora Spiegletent – Adelaide Fringe Review

The Garden Of Unearthly Delights’ Aurora Spiegletent, Sat Mar 14 A full house, sold out show welcomed us as we joined the infamous snaking line that is the entrance to the Aurora Spiegeltent. Dim lighting created a mood that really encapsulated Katie Noonan and her expected ethereal quality - an otherworldliness that you are immediately cast into upon her first crystal clear note sighing through the air. Katie returns with her new band, Vanguard, and the upcoming new solo album Peace Is My Drug; a treat to behold with a bevy of very talented people working alongside. Her band includes Stu Hunter and Declan Kelly – both from The Captain, and Ben Edgar (ex Angus and Julia Stone). They performed with the familiarity of long-time partners - complementing one another without too much of anything. The sound is not dissimilar to the impactful George atmosphere - building volume, gentle thoughtful lyrics and tender background stories of human interest and relationships, The feel has changed slightly with Katie now a mother and wife and clearly her deep love for her family is enunciated in her writing. The sound is more electric, more orchestral in places. We hear the snappy Quick Sand, with its slick bass line. The the lovely Unwinnable Race  and the beautiful Peace Is My Drug (co-written with poet Michael Leunig) which summarises everything we love about her airy and spot-on vocals. Small hitches in sound tent barely interrupt Noonan as she continues with the utmost in professionalism and grace, apologising for the lack of normal banter as the set is kept to a very strict one hour curfew, sadly so for the punters who listen in total silence to her set and could easily sit through it twice or thrice again. Seamless and mesmerising vocals, tight-knit band and a beautiful atmosphere. Sian Williams