Pikelet

As Evelyn Morris plugged in her equipment in the corner at the Flying Scotsman, a place that plays host to many different kinds of crowds, a table of turned-up collar metrosexuals glanced her way and laughed. Not with any targeted scorn, you understand, just in that general mood of, here’s an event, here’s someone different, whatever laugh there is to be had in this situation, we’re drunk, let’s have it. Then, after looping a beat with her floor tom and a melody with her accordion and singing along to her own voice, their minds were blown. They literally became slack-jawed and asked each other, “Is she playing that music?”

Morris was either oblivious or completely inured to their surprise, nonchalantly constructing deceptively simple arrangements then dousing the room with her voice, sweet but incredibly loud, almost abrasive, like the most sublime noise music. Her other job as the totally impressive drummer for True Radical Miracle took all the surprise out of the deft drum loops that drive her performance as Pikelet, but that she was similarly skilled at playing every other instrument on stage and controlling the chaos of their layering, at least at first, beggared belief. The consensus in the room, metrosexuals and all, was that this was a rare and precious Australian gem.

by Matt Giles