Lime Cordiale @O2 Academy, 31 July 2019
Coming all the way from Sydney, Lime Cordiale took a break from the non-stop touring around Australia and New Zealand. Currently enjoying their first UK and Europe tour Lime Cordiale is treating fans to an experience with their blend of 70’s style soul, funk, rock and indie. The band comprised of Aussie brothers, Oli and Louis, took over the O2 Academy in Birmingham for a bombastic show. 
Also native to Australia, Geowulf opened the night with their laidback folk-indie wavy pop, delighting the crowd with songs from their debut album ‘Great Big Blue’, released last year. Childhood friends Star Kendrick and Toma Banjanin and their band were happy and warm in the bright yellow light during the entire performance, you couldn’t miss the deep and sometimes sad lyrics. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Star surprised the audience with her strong vocals which combined perfectly with guitarist Toma’s deep and soft voice during hazy tracks like ‘Work In Progress’ and ‘Hideaway’. Between songs Star asked for the best place for a pint in Birmingham and the response was “not here”, which brought some laughs around the room. The nostalgic ‘Saltwater’ received the most cheers as it’s definitely their most well-known song. The serene atmosphere came to an end but the feel-good mood stayed. 
Before the awaited band came on stage, the drum set was covered in fairy lights, adding to the magical atmosphere the fans expected. The stage hosted the brothers’ intense onstage persona, accompanied by three other band members and they blasted tunes from their current album ‘Permanent Vacation’, released in 2017, and a few other songs.
The reggae-infused ‘Naturally’ kicked off the night and the crowd sang along with the laid back rhythm. The brothers connected with the people immediately through their lyrics and jokes and expressed how thankful they were to be able to play on the other side of the world. 
The younger brother Louis is the lead vocalist of the duo, his rich and raspy voice setting the tone as Oli effortlessly complemented the vocals. Making the most out of the world of Peaky Blinders, Oli rocked the Peaky hat, but he had to make sure that it didn’t make him look stupid, making jokes about an Aussie wearing that hat. 
The catchy soul- infused set list continued with anthems like ‘Can I be your Lover’, ‘Up In The Air’ and ‘Risky Love’, which combined a variety of beachy vibes and electric groove. During ‘Dirt Cheap’ I was pleased to hear the brothers doing the whistles and weird laughs that I remembered from the recorded version. The soft notes were accentuated by the keyboards, while the trombone highlights accentuated the whole performance and brought life to Louis’ authentic soul tones.
The tempo kicked up with the all-time surf-rock favourites ‘Waking Up Easy’ and ‘Temper Temper’ which made sure everyone was dancing and definitely enjoying their time as the brothers’ whole performance was energetic and charismatic.
Lime Cordiale attempted to leave but the crowd wasn’t ready to let them go, asking for more. The five-piece came back for a three-song encore, announcing that for the first one they were going to play “someone else’s song” as they demand everyone to sing along to the Hall & Oats ‘Rich Girl’.
At that point you would think that they couldn’t more impressive but they treated everyone’s ears with the newest single ‘Inappropriate Behaviour’ and put an end to the night with the catchy ‘Money’, the crowd letting loose for the last time. After a whole show with groovy rhythms and infectious smiles, the audience started to leave the venue while still humming their favourite songs that they just listened to. 
Set list:
Naturally
Can I be your lover
Up in the air
Risky love
Dirt cheap
Giving yourself over
Spider legs
Is he your man
What is growing up
Not just easy
Hanging upside down
Waking up easy
Temper Temper
Encore
Rich Girl
Inappropriate Behaviour
Money
Review and Photo: Andra Tudoran