Vera Blue Brisbane Review @ The Tivoli Theatre

Like a swirling, silverly streak of otherworldliness, Vera Blue is an artist with a voice that defies description.

In front of a sold-out crowd at The Tivoli Theatre (31 May), she floated out onto the stage and led the audience on a sonic journey through the stars.

Ethereal, mesmerising, powerful and somehow also a little goofy, Vera Blue knows how to put on a SHOW. From the moment she appeared out of the darkness and opened her mouth, the crowd was hooked.

When you witness an artist who is living their truth and embracing their uniqueness rather than fighting to fit in, you start to see real life proof of the power of being completely, unapologetically yourself.


Vera Blue still has a sweet innocence that shines out of her, even in the middle of singing about heartache or loss or inequality. And in that pure expression is power, because everyone can relate to the highs and lows of life when the fake filters are removed.

There are moments in the show where Vera’s voice is so high, so clear, so sweet that it cuts through the heavy, hard layers of your heart like a knife, allowing you to finally feel alive. She sounds so achingly familiar and yet different to anyone else that it’s both confusing and comforting. And it’s this effect that will make her memorable.

Adding to that, it was an incredible stage setup; artistic lighting and next-level production which resulted in a world-class show. Vera performed on the main stage and her band were set-up behind her on another level, creating silhouettes and feeling like we were watching a '60s art-house movie.


The backdrops were filled with colourful art, videos of Vera’s face or geometric patterns, which all added to the feeling of watching a movie.

She moved across the stage like electricity, at times crackling with energy and ferocity, and others like a soft, hypnotic hum. Add to that her voice, which was a blend of angelic trills and luscious, languid low notes.

She is like a magic mix of Kate Bush, Florence and the Machine and Goldfrapp, and there’s something in that way she writes and performs that feels like she could just as easily be found on a Celtic vintage record or a futuristic dance party mixtape.

Wearing a balloon sleeve, silvery grey dress and with that wall of flaming hair, she was hard to look away from. The crowd were devoted to her, singing along and following her every movement. At times it felt like they were breathing in tandem with her, swaying as she moved from side to side.


Traversing the spectrum of the human experience, she sung about regret, sorrow, loss, love, devotion, nostalgia, hope and anger. And this beautiful juxtaposition of elation and melancholy was mirrored in her music – as she moved from acoustic, stripped-back songs to deep, grimey waves of electro pop.

Vera Blue is finding her place in the musical world of today and although she sings about universal topics, her take on it all is beautifully, heartbreakingly, endearingly her own.