It’s been more than two years since Sydney’s Tigertown have played in Brisbane, and in the time since there’s been a distinct sonic shift in the band’s sound. It was anyone’s guess how they would blend their older folk tunes with the new electro pop songs from their 2016 EP Lonely Cities, but as it transpired there was really nothing to worry about and the band put on a stellar show. Playing at The Foundry supported by Phebe Starr, it was a rather short evening, though it still packed plenty of glittery pop punch.

When Phebe Starr arrives on stage she’s covered in glitter, giving her the appearance of a sparkly, ethereal fairy. From the minute her powerful voice rings out over the deep bass of the drum pads and synths, it’s clear she’s far from the demure and delicate type though. Starr dances around the stage as she sings, flanked by two musicians who seem almost to spend more time hitting triggers than playing their instruments. Presumably the drums and electric bass are there for theatrical effect in the live setting, because they really don’t add all that much sonically, you can’t help but wish Starr would just completely own her electro pop persona and ditch the live instruments all together. Her lyrics are a little cliché, but it’s sickly sweet pop at it’s best and the crowd at The Foundry are more than up for a dance. At times Starr channels her inner Britney circa 2003 as she walks to the front of the stage, crouching forward and directing her singing at the front row. Alone With You from her new EP is a standout, the woos and ahhs are a bit overdone but it’s a melodically interesting dance pop song. Starr’s big voice is versatile and well suited to belting out pop bangers and her bright personality shines through in each song, making her set extra enjoyable.

Not to be outdone, Tigertown upped the glitter ratio substantially, adding fairy lights and sparkly clothing into the mix. The four members of the band are playing with a new drummer for the first time tonight, though from their new bandmate’s obvious talent you certainly wouldn’t know it was her first show. The band’s four-way harmonies have always sounded great on a record, but when playing live they really lift the songs. The folky Tigertown of 2012 is well and truly gone, replaced with bona fide electro pop band. As singer Charlie Collins’ t-shirt says, “You gotta risk it to get the biscuit,” and Tigertown’s risky genre pivot has certainly payed off. Playing a bunch of tracks from their new EP Lonely Cities, the crowd are up and dancing from the first beat. The synth groove of Bullet From A Gun is followed with the all out disco vibes of the as yet not released Golden Sky. A surprise highlight is Warriors, another new song slated to be on the band’s forthcoming debut record. Finishing the set with the title track from their EP Lonely Cities, the whole crowd is jumping around to this recent radio favourite. Their encore features an unexpected cover of John Farnham’s Pressure Down and a revamped version of the band’s older single What You Came Here For. It’s all over in under an hour, although it feels even shorter after all that dancing. The band depart with a promise of a return visit to Brisbane sometime soon, hopefully by then more locals will have jumped on the Tigertown bandwagon!

- Clare Armstrong