Gig Report: Sia

Date: Tuesday 27 November, 2007, 9pm
Venue: Night and Day Cafe, Manchester
Face value: £11.00(ish) + booking fee
Support Act: Half Cousin
Gig buddy: Phil

Tuesday night and I'm excited. I'm also being cheeky in going because I should be studying hard for the intensive training course I am on, but this is the one gig in the calendar I've been waiting for the most - and I swear I had tickets before my course was postponed to this date. Honest. Anyway, I'm so excited I'm queuing before the doors open. (Yes, really). I've declined a drink (shocking!) at the bar next door because I am determined that I am going to get a VERY good position down the front. And so, we wait in the cool evening for the Night and Day Cafe to open. A queue forms behind us and it's a real mixed crowd. I'm just pleased she has so many fans.

Sia, who some people will recognise vocally from the Zero7 albums (she can be found on all 3) is a solo performer in her own right (I have the early recorded work to prove this) and her dates in London and Manchester sold out quickly. Oddly enough, as we enter the venue, Sia herself is sitting near the entrance, happily chatting on the internet and she seems to be in a great mood. Soon she de-camps and heads backstage to prepare. The support act is awful and the tracks are a carbon copy of each other, so we remain seated on the bench at the side throughout. I'm not bothered, I'm here for Sia, nothing else.

After a short interval, the lights go down, a black light is used and dressed in black and neon outfits, Sia and the band enter the stage. I can't explain this well enough, so a picture is absolutely necessary here... suffice to say it was the funniest entrance I have seen for a while..

The set is a very creative arrangement of neon flowers, making it seem more like she was singing in a summer garden than a bar in cold, dark Northern England. In short, it worked and suits her quirky fun style perfectly. Littering the front of the stage was a collection of soft toys... weird, but strangely cute.

Sia's new album (due out very soon, though pirate versions are already found on the internet, which Sia doesn't seem bothered too much by) is featured on the set list quite a bit - fair play, if you have a new album, plug it. Sia managed to do this and keep the fans happy with a good selection of the back catalogue including some Zero7 tracks, though I nearly fell off my bench (I was standing at this point) when she did 'Taken For Granted' from the Healing is Difficult album. I'll be buying the new album as soon as I can, hopefully it will be available in hard copy.

Hearing Sia's impressively strong vocals would give rise to suspicion that this artist could be a total diva, however in reality they are in stark contrast to her giggly affectionate nature. In short - not a hint of superiority anywhere from the gratitude towards her band and fans to the frequent personal anecdotes allowing us to get to know her a little better. And if that didn't convince you, Sia's dancing would prove that there was no ego on stage at all.. it really is refreshing to witness an artist that doesn't take themself too seriously.

So, this in mind, I was struggling to find a reason why this wouldn't be a 5 star rating. And I failed. There was simply no flaw in the entire evening and I cannot think of a gig that could top it (though Bic Runga's Brighton Spiegaltent performance would equal it). And then one thing confirmed that this was truly worthy of a full 5 points. I met Sia and she signed everything I brought with me. She even spent time chatting to me and when I told her I saw her in Leeds after surgery on my foot and stood for the show, she asked me to private message her on her MySpace page and she will make sure I get a seat next time.

So, all in all...

Rating: 5 neon flowers and some funky dance moves.

Sia - I bet her christmas tree at home is way cool... (or 'rad' as we Aussies might say)

Am I shocked to meet her? What do you think? The deer in headlights on the left should answer it...