I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this concert, but Brittney Parks a.k.a. Sudan Archives delivered a fun, energised set of sexy swagger and violin shredding… and even some traditional Irish music.
After my concert-studded first half of 2023, the rest of the year is looking pretty bare at the moment, which is good news for my credit card but also makes life a lot more boring with no live gigs to look forward to. At least I’m glad that I took a chance on this young American singer/songwriter and self-taught violinist, who caught my ear with her unique mix of R&B, hip-hop, experimental electronic music and African rhythms.
I spent the previous couple of days working from home with a mild cold, so I was thrilled to find a spot at the bar stand table right near the stage, where I could sit on a chair throughout the warm-up and have something to lean against for later. The supporting act, local Melbourne rapper Agung Mango, was pretty good even if his songs had a weird way of ending too abruptly.
You never know if an artist you enjoy on a record is going to be disappointing live, but from the moment Sudan Archives arrived onstage in a funky white outfit and dramatically flourished her violin bow, drawing it from the leather quiver on her back like some sort of mythical huntress, it was obvious that the night was going to be anything but disappointment. She is a force of nature with an irresistible grin, dancing and swaying like a seductress, covering every inch of the stage. Her violin playing really makes her stand out from the artists occupying the same musical space, and she certainly made the most of it live.
The set covered Sudan’s two albums to date, 2019’s Athena and 2022’s Natural Brown Prom Queen, with a lone synth player as her accompaniment. As much as I enjoyed myself, I couldn’t help but reflect that a concert with this much pre-recorded music and back-up vocals does feel very different to a proper live show with live instruments. But whatever it may have lacked in raw musical quality, the sheer energy and excitement on and off stage more than made up for it, and the songs did sound more alive in a packed room.
At one point, Sudan inquired if there were any Irish in the audience, and after counting five or six raised hands she revealed that the first ever piece she learned to play on a violin was a traditional Irish jig, which she performed with the crowd gleefully clapping along. Traditional Irish music wasn’t at all what I expected to hear at this gig, but it was quite wonderful. Though the concert overall wasn’t too heavy on crowd banter, the connection between Sudan and the audience was palpable. She expressed regret that so far she hasn’t had a chance to see any native Australian animals – except the dead ones on the road!
I wished for a slightly longer gig, and for some guy in the front rows to stop vaping and spreading fumes, but after the exquisite Confessions closed the night, I left the venue in a top mood, and will definitely keep an eye out for more Sudan Archives live shows.
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