Music School: Florence and the Machine

Image courtesy of my trusty iPhone

If you haven’t heard of the band Florence & the Machine, it may be apparent that you have been living under a rock, or in some other form of pop-culture hibernation. Becoming a worldwide hit in 2009 after the release of their first album Lungs (for those hipsters out there, the love affair may have begun even earlier) the British band, with front-man-girl Florence Welsh, ended their Australian Ceremonials tour at the Riverstage in Brisbane.

With much eager anticipation, a friend and I landed ourselves a pretty good position and waited for the songstress to grace us with her presence. A little over the top? I think not, for it is Welsh's overly theatrical and flamboyant demeanor that is most captivating about the fiery red-head.

Opening the show with the first track on their Ceremonials album, Only If For A Night, the show kicked off without a hitch, Welsh's exuberant personality on exhibition from the get-go. Also known for her exotic and quirky dress sense, her black jumpsuit did not disappoint. The shining star of her outfit, however, was a rather mesmerizing black cape (it would not surprise me if cape sales started booming in Brisbane – I know I want one!).

With a relatively good mix of songs from her recent album, and a few old favourites for those die-hard fans, the show kept up a good pace. An enchanting acoustic rendition of the hit song "Never Let Me Go" was quite a pleasant surprise, before wrapping up with her final song of the evening – a personal favourite – "No Light, No Light".  

The most impressive feature of the evening was, of course, the infamous voice of the beautiful English prodigy. Effortlessly displaying her natural talent, the tone of Florence Welsh echoed throughout the gardens, making it difficult not to get caught up in the hype. 

Overall a fantastic experience that brought everything you can expect from the powerhouse that is, Florence & the Machine. 

Brooke @ Girl With a Satchel.