Oh my god. Just....wow. I was in two minds about writing this review. On the one hand, I was looking forward to sharing the experience with you, and hoping you would one day see it for yourself. On the other, I don’t have the acuity to truly surmise the goings-on at the Northcote Social Club that night. Well, I’ll try.
So. Here we are. Black lace adorning the stage. All manner of attractive people in festive circus-y getups and garters. Suits and top hats. Flapper girl dresses. Rapskallion stand side of stage as they show music videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpa7rLkCtvM) and Seth Greengills- our hook-nosed protagonist from that video- arrives and does a striptease to You Can Leave Your Hat On...on a unicycle. You can’t make this stuff up. Hailey Hoops also amused the crowd with hula hoop tricks during some fitting tracks. Rapskallion launch into it. Playing from their brand new rekkid, One Up For the Little Man- they are chaotic, beautiful, rhythmic gypsies from a tiny village under a bridge. Accordion (a much underrated instrument, I think) rings out, blending with clarinet, violin and, of course, frontwoman Sara’s amazing vocals.

Tracks like Never Turn Your Back on the Sea rings with old-timey magic and circus madness, Over the Sea is like an Irish sea song, Magpie has all the tango strut and gusto one could ever ask for- especially if one were dance inclined, as the Northcote SC crowd seemed to be- and Sera’s strong vocals mingle with the beautiful, rich instruments. Think Amelie meets a group of Greek renegade musicians that hook up with a Spanish gypsy. I mean, look at the picture. Don’t they just look interesting? They do, and they are! Buy the CD, and check them out when they get back from wowing the Europe crowds. Have I ever steered you wrong?