Compulsion capture

Songs of Compulsion (Lucinda Shaw)

The Outpost Bar

October 16

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More than just setting the scene for the seminal story of Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie’s ‘Five Years’, is one of the best emotional crescendos in song. Those not in agreement may just not have seen Lucinda Shaw’s version, which occupies place as one of the many highlights of her Queensland Cabaret Festival Show “Songs of Compulsion”. As her vocals cry out from its sparse introduction in capture of the sorrow, regret, and frustrations of those coming to terms with mortality, audience members know they are experiencing something wonderful. It’s an epic call-back also to one of Shaw’s previous performances in Electric Moon’s 2016 Cabaret Festival show, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust” and the set is characterised by a nice balance between time-honoured favourites and original numbers.

The intimacy of The Fortitude Musical Hall’s The Outpost Bar serves as the perfect location in which to experience Shaw’s mesmeric vocal textures. The venue is everything you’d expect from a basement jazz club (if it were upstairs) seductive red and black décor and a grown-up cocktail list accompaniment to graze up against the slow, jazzy numbers on stage. Indeed, its David Lunch-esque ambiance suits the lingering lyricism and tender musical tones that appear as if they are happening in slow-motion, even as Shaw’s powerful vocals reach for the ceiling. This is especially the case as her robust voice rises up and take us down to a tender refrain in Scott Walker’s darkly brilliant ‘My Death’ toast to our inevitable demise, meaning that the audience is enraptured through to its very last note.

True to Shaw’s legacy, the setlist also includes ‘Best Boyfriend’, by local ‘90s feminist folk band Isis (of which she was a founding member) which has this year been released in a rare mix coupled with and even rarer live B-side. In curation with the evening’s other numbers, it illustrates not only her vocal versatility, but a chameleonic style that transcends even to musical accompaniment (by frequent collaborators Mark Angel – guitars, Terry Dixon – bass and James Lees – piano), which ranges from Spanish-style guitar to tambourine and even idiomatic cowbell sound to call our attention. And while the show seems to be over before we know it, as a community craving the vital human connection the comes from live performance, we are happy to be able to support and celebrate the arts again together if only for this 50 minutes.