Banks takes Astor Theatre mystique to new heights with Splendour sideshow

BANKS kicked off her Australian tour this week with a show at the Astor Theatre that was the perfect marriage of big sound and intimate atmosphere.

Support act Ziggy, a local rapper who has become known for delivering his own important brand of socially conscious hip hop, performed a solid warm-up set to a receptive crowd.

Closing out with his latest song Same Script, Ziggy provided the hometown audience with a taste of his much-lauded talent while also challenging them to think outside the square.

Solo artist Banks appeared onstage heavily veiled with two dancers who were a constant feature throughout the set.

Opening with the haunting sounds of Poltergeist, Banks introduced the audience to a mesmerising, almost mystical style of choreography that captivated the crowd.

With sharp, angular movements reminiscent of something not of this world, the singer and her two dancers provided the perfect accompaniment to the bass-heavy tracks.

The setlist drew primarily from Banks’ most recent album The Altar, with F**k With Myself, Gemini Feed and Trainwreck following the opener.

The first song from her much-lauded debut album Goddess – Waiting Game – was an early highlight, drawing a huge response from the crowd as the dancers, now without their veils, performed by her side.

Banks implored audience members to put their phones away ahead of her performance of Better, so that they could live in the moment with her.

She went into some detail describing her songwriting process and the passion she channeled into her music – and not for the last time, the audience was left with the unmistakable impression that Banks took her art incredibly seriously.

A huge singalong accompanied her performance of Brain, before she turned down the bass for just a minute to present a spoken-word piece which she also translated into sign language.

She closed out the set with Judas, Begging for Thread and Haunt, featuring a theatrical guitar solo from the keyboardist who had until then been almost completely anonymous.

Returning for a single-song encore, Banks performed 27 Hours, the excellent closing track off her most recent album.

A break-up song that does away with the traditional self-pitying theme of similar songs, the track was the perfect end to a night of passion, rhythm and artistic flair.