15 September, 2019
Lydia Fairhall and the Black She Oaks put me to sleep.
As Lydia’s sweet voice soaked into every corner of The Courier-Mail Spiegeltent, I succumbed to her lullaby and found myself drifting in and out of a welcome rest from the glitter and excess of the Brisbane Festival.
Over a short fifty minutes this group, in only their second performance in the lead-up to the release of a debut album later this year, drew the crowd into their family.
Lydia’s children played a prominent role in the show, starting with a love song to her son before he turns 13 later this week.
We were then introduced to Lydia’s 4-year-old daughter, a performer in the making who puts on song-and-dance shows for the snakes out in the bush – and isn’t afraid of letting her mother know when her moves aren’t up to snuff.
The sounds of the bush and the environment that has shaped Lydia Fairhall also featured heavily, and there were moments as my eyes fell shut that I felt I was sitting around a crackling fire and listening to stories that played out in song.
With a voice that shifted over our time together from sweet melody to strength through heartbreak, Lydia Fairhall and the Black She Oaks left me curious to see how this family she has created with continue to grow.