Review: The Garden Sessions

Kicking back in the shade at The Garden of Unearthly Delights on the first Saturday afternoon of the Fringe, the vibe is an easy, gentle calm – almost a deliberate pause before the nightly colour and fairground mayhem kicks off again. As if purposely amplifying this feeling, a lone guitarist has found cover in the shade on the other edge of the clearing, gently playing, almost to herself. Undaunted by the distance between performer and the audience, she continues to entertain and as the set rolls on a decent crowd is drawn to her confidently relaxed, understated performance. 

It's the perfect antidote after a big opening night, and a welcome change of pace. But on a hot afternoon, with the audience seeking shady spots to listen, you can't escape the feeling that this lone acoustic artist would have benefited from a more defined performance space.

Hannah Yates’ fine acoustic set is the first of the Garden’s summer sessions. These are part of the venue's commendable long-standing commitment to promoting contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Yates in particular is committed to preserving the Kaurna language in her work, and while this isn't immediately apparent in her set this afternoon – due partly to a focus on a more 70s revival style of play, partly to sheer venue layout – it's still great that these artists are given such a space to engage with festival audiences.