3 June 2025 – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane – words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi – pictures by Bec Harbour
I was beyond excited when the news that Beth Gibbons, the top-class musician and haunting voice behind the iconic trip-hop sound of Portishead, was going to tour Australia to bring to life her debut solo album, Lives Outgrown. Then, I cried when it was announced that she would only be playing VIVID at the Sydney Opera House. But the Gods relented and smiled. Miraculously two new concerts were announced for Melbourne and Brisbane (yeah!) and she would perform at The Fortitude Valley Music Hall. I was on that pre-release sale like a demon.
For those who may not know too much about Beth Gibbons, she was the lead singer with the ethereal voice that gave Portishead its unique sound throughout the 1990s. Portishead hit the jackpot with their timeless and classy debut album 1994’s Dummy that featured the excellent songs ‘Sour Times’, ‘Roads’ and ‘Glory Box’. The latter two songs featured in the encore. Beth Gibbons has also worked with Talk Talk’s bassist, Paul Webb, under his stage name, Rustin Man, for their 2002 collaboration album Out of Season and the songs ‘Mysteries’ and ‘Tom the Model’ were performed. The rest of the 14 song setlist came from her solo album ‘Lives Outgrown’.
Everyone at the concert was excited for this musical event. For some reason, tickets were changed from a rock concert setting to more of a recital fully seated event. I am not a fan of seated events for many reasons but at least patrons were warned in advance and could plan. So, as we all took our seats, it was very snug, the evening began with Kyle Lionhart taking to the stage.
Kyle Lionhart, a local musician from Bryon Bay, got the evening off to a great start with a stripped back set of six songs. It was voice, acoustic guitar and Kyle Lionhart either standing or seated on a chair. He played a mix of ballad, mid-tempo and up-tempo songs. He started the evening with ‘Better Days Ahead’. His guitar playing was very good and his voice had a clear timbre which was important for what he was about to do next.
In an effort for the singer and a seated audience to connect, Kyle Lionhart performed a fantastic cover for the next song in his set. It was Cher’s ‘Believe’: a notoriously difficult song to sing for many reasons but primarily for its extensive use of Auto-Tune, which removes the natural portamento (slide between notes) in singing. He took the song down to its bones and showed its class.
Kyle Lionheart – FMH – photos by Bec Harbour
Kyle Lionhart, then, changed course from pure pop to a more neo-folk style for his song about the fleeting moments you share with your children before they grow and move on with their lives in ‘Sunday Mornings’. He, then, admitted that he “was thrilled to be opening for Beth Gibbons” but when he first got the supporting musician role he was “unsure who she was – but I knew Portishead – rock ‘n’ roll royalty. My dad was happy when he told me who she was”. He then dedicated a song to his father and sister, in a roundabout sort of way, in ‘Sweet Girl’.
The up-tempo song ‘Find You Again’ which will be released on Friday has a catchy melody. Then, he performed the last song of his set ‘Makin It Easy’ which was a real pop-rocker with a great singalong chorus. Kyle Lionhart was entertaining and his banter between songs, the inspiration behind them, which gave them context and made his set fun, fresh and personal. And, the audience all know how to spell his name.
The house lights went up as the stage had equipment removed and subtle changes were made for the main performance. After, the welcome to country, it was stated that there was to be no filming of the performance. Then, the lights went blue, to purple and darker. The theatrical fog machines were working overtime as the venue filled with haze. I sat there in my seat and said to the guy sitting next to me that we would be lucky to see anything.
The venue went dark as the seven musicians and Beth Gibbons came out onto the stage. I could barely see the drummer or the synth player and I was in the centre of row D. I am unsure what people further back could see. But the music started and middle eastern sounds and tribal-tinged drum beats floated across the venue as they underpinned the opening chords of ‘Tell Me Who You Are Today’. The song set the tone for the evening: as pensive acoustic guitar, muted percussion and soaring strings kicked in. It was clear that the evening would be a unique musical experience. Beth Gibbons’ voice was powerful, but had a fragility to it, as she commanded the crowd’s attention throughout the night.
Beth Gibbons – FMH – photos by Bec Harbour
Beth Gibbons’ and her stellar band of musicians’ performance blended folk, classical and jazz textures to support her elegant and swooping voice. Her band comprised of: Eoin Rooney (guitars, marching snare, backing vocals); Emma Smith (violin, clarinet, guitar, backing vocals); Tom Herbert (bass, Fender VI, backing vocals); Jason Hazeley (keyboards and ondes); Howard Jacobs (contrabass clarinet, vibraphone, timpani, baritone saxophone, flute, bombo, percussion, metal and gongs, recorder, hammered guitar, backing vocals); Richard Jones (viola, guitar, backing vocals); and James Ford (drums, harmonium, tenor recorder, backing vocals).
By the second song ‘Burden Of Life’ the darker heavier aesthetic sounds of strings crying between verses underscored Beth Gibbons’ sombre voice as the lyricism moved through seasonal imagery and uneasy reflections of the changing patterns of life. The following song the lovely ‘Floating On A Moment’ was a set highlight and was truly beautiful with its baroque textures, harpsichord sounds and echoes of a flute. It was so elegant.
There was an odd moment when giant disco glow sticks were spun around by the drummer, percussionist and keyboardist adding a moment of lightness before plunging into ‘Rewind’ with its grungy distorted guitar, hard drum beats and jagged sonic sounds. Another set highlight was the delivery of ‘For Sale’ followed with the tender song ‘Mysteries’ performed straight after.
‘Lost Changes’ was the seventh song in the set and at this point there was a tiny awkward break as Beth Gibbons attempted to thank the audience, a small “thank you” was uttered, only for the applause to drown her out entirely. Throughout the performance, Beth Gibbons appeared reserved as she stood dead centre near the front of the stage, hanging onto the microphone for dear life, alternating between singing and turning her back to the audience. There were no grand gestures and little chat or banter. It was all about the intimate experience between the musician and her audience.
Beth Gibbons – FMH – photos by Bec Harbour
The song ‘Oceans’ carried the sombre mood forward as the blue and purple lighting washed across the stage and seemed to mix with the strings of the violins. Then, the odd song ‘Tom, The Model’ was delivered. Followed by ‘Beyond The Sun’ with more Middle Eastern sounds. And, ‘Whispering Love’, the last song in the regular set was all soft acoustic guitar, strings and flute.
Beth Gibbons, then, said good night as she and the band left the stage. The audience clapped, cheered and people near me were stomping their feet. The musicians returned and Beth Gibbons trailed behind and then, the moment many in the audience had waited for, the songs ‘Roads’ and ‘Glory Box’ were delivered. Beth Gibbons’ voice was older, but still affecting as she performed these songs. Then, the encore reached its finale with ‘Reaching Out’. It was a fitting song to close out the evening as it is a track steeped in quiet power.
The songs performed from Lives Outgrown and the other albums from Beth Gibbons’ back catalogue quietly reflect upon two things: her voice and the themes concerning the unrelenting flow of time and the inevitability of change. The message is to find beauty in life and music and appreciate living in the now. I think the audience at the Fortitude Valley Music Hall took that onboard as they left the venue and headed out into the night.
