With Melbourne Zoo running Zoo Twilight Night to raise money for the wildlife reserve, what better way to get behind a great cause than by relaxing into the weekend with the people and music you love.
Ali Barter was first to welcome the Zoo Twilight Night audience with her song ‘I’m Not that Kind of Girl,’ dishing the crowd with vibes of a relaxed Friday night as she commanded the stage with her voice. In the early hours of the evening it was clear to see the energy begin to rise on stage, exuding itself into the audience as people had gotten up to dance to Barter’s songs off her latest album A Suitable Girl. For the next hour, the audience had heard her perform tracks like ‘Cigarette’, ‘One Foot In’ and ‘Light Them on Fire.’
The authentic sounds coming from the stage made it evident that the musicians were having just as much fun as the crowd and it wasn’t hard to see why. The guitarist was jumping across the stage like nobody’s business and the music sounded tight and lively. Ali Barter and her crew had finished the set with ‘Girly Bits,’ being the perfect ending to such a great performance.
The Preatures jumped on stage shortly after with their song ‘Girlhood,’ giving the audience exactly they had been waiting for with their performance. Embracing the Zoo Twilight Night experience, lead singer, Isabella Manfredi wore a Ranger’s hat and immediately had control of the crowd getting the audience up on their feet dancing the night away.
Manfredi’s vocals were on point as she sang ‘Somebody’s Talking’ and it was not hard to notice the insane skills of lead guitarist, Gideon Benson who had the crowd cheering and whistling.
‘Whatever You Want’ came as the sky was getting darker, the green and red fluorescent lights that had surrounded the stage shone brighter illuminating the crowd below. This song was proven to be quite emotional, with the audience hanging onto every word.
The Preatures had continued their set by playing many more of their great hits including ‘Better Than it Ever CouldBe’ as well as ‘Ordinary’ off their album Blue Planet Eyes and it wasn’t hard to understand why the crowd was going crazy for The Preatures.
‘Is this How You Feel?’ was a fan favourite with the crowd, anyone who wasn’t already up did not stay seated for long. With a beer in hand and bare feet on the grass it was a moment of pure happiness in one of Melbourne’s most cherished locations.
The night ended with ‘Yanada’, Full Moon in Dharug, embracing the Indigenous Australian community in such a beautiful song. The Preatures ended the Zoo Twilight Night on a high note and it could not have been any more perfect.
Highlight: Too many good moments.
Lowlight: Ended way too soon.
Crowd favourite: Is This How You Feel, The Preatures.
