LIVE REVIEW: Hiatus Kaiyote serve all that jazz and more in Cambridge Hotel debut

A common joke is rock guitarists strum three chords to 1000 people, while jazz musicians play 1000 chords for three people.

As much as you can appreciate the musicianship, the complicated song instructions can test even the most patient listener.

However, that isn't the case for Melbourne jazz and neo-soul fusion band Hiatus Kaiyote. Across three albums Tawk Tomahawk (2013), Choose Your Weapon (2015) and last year's Mood Valiant they have not only been able to attract critical acclaim, they've made the difficult leap to mainstream success.

Mood Valiant peaked at No.4 on the ARIA charts and featured heavily in best albums of 2021 lists.

Much of that success stems from their ability to combine jazz and funk with elements of R'n'B and even psych rock.

Wednesday night's Cambridge Hotel show was Hiatus Kaiyote's debut at the iconic Newcastle West venue and was rescheduled after their December cancellation at the height of the city's Omicron outbreak.

Hiatus Kaiyote vocalist-guitarist Nai Palm (real name Naomi Saalfield) felt immediately at home on the Cambridge stage telling the audience affectionately that, "It smells like the f--king Tote [Hotel] in Melbourne."

Barring the smattering of face masks among the packed crowd, this show happily felt very 2019.

It was a diverse crowd, ranging from university students captivated by Palm's modern R'n'B take on jazz through to middle-aged men, obviously lured by the virtuosity of Hiatus Kaiyote's Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keyboards) and Perrin Moss (drums).

Nobody left disappointed.

Watching the interplay between Bender and Moss as they constructed their complex rhythms was worth the price of admission alone.

Hiatus Kaiyote have spent recent months touring the US and playing Bluesfest, so they arrived in Newcastle in red-hot form.

The set list relied heavily on Mood Valiant, which features many of the band's most melodic moments. The album marked a turning point in the four-piece's career where they were able to merge their virtuosity with emotional power.

Moss laid down a delicious off-kilter beat on the opening Rose Water for Palm to deliver her smooth vocals over the top.

The Cambridge resembled a late-night Chicago nightclub as Palm conjured up sultry vibes on And We Go Gentle, which had the audience grooving and singing along to the chorus "can I get a light?"

Palm strapped on her V-type electric guitar for Get Sun, with brought new energy to the room through the track's Latin beats and electronic samples.

It was Mavin's turn to shine on keys when Hiatus Kaiyote slipped back into their Choose Your Weapon song Molasses. He never once overplayed his hand, but merely added colour to Palm's vocal.

The set peaked midway through with the double punch of Mood Valiant favourites Chivalry Is Not Dead and Red Room.

The former's electronic sample intro attracted the biggest response of the night. Bender's funky basslines created a wave of sound which seemingly hypnotised the audience.

Palm's lustful "leopard slugs" and "sea horses" must surely rate among the strangest love song lyrics, but it works.

Red Room, a neo-soul tribute to the sanctuary of one's bedroom at sunset, was a beautiful moment where the audience was captivated by Palm's nimble vocals.

After the highlight of Red Room the set began to lose momentum as the show was weighed down by drawn-out explorations.

Swamp Thing showed off the band's dirtier psych-rock side, dominated by Bender's creeping bass.

The World it Softly Lulls was the only cut from 2013's Tawk Tomahawk and that was a wise decision. Hiatus Kaiyote have greatly progressed as songwriters from their earlier efforts.

However, the band's best-known track Nakamarra was strangely omitted.

There didn't seem to be too many disappointed punters. Palm even received a bouquet of flowers from a woman in the front row.

If jazz is indeed an acquired taste, it's fair to say Hiatus Kaiyote's ability to slip between genres gave their Cambridge fans a greater appreciation.