Reviews Updated 01/01/2005 Cat Power, Women & Children, David Virgin - The Tivoli 24th of September 2003 Eileen Dick On the back of the radio-friendly You Are Free, Cat Power's third visit to Brisbane sees her crowd more than double on last time - but does everyone get what they expect? Hiding under the brim of his fedora, the shadowy David Virgin and his guitar cast a Michael Gira-like profile beside his cross-legged singing partner. His Dylanesque voice cuts through her girlish one as they peg out a space comfortably between the camps of folk, country and blues. A little bit sinister, a little bit whimsical ('Beautiful Plastic'), a little bit heart-on-sleeve. French guests Women & Children start as a four-piece on piano, drums, bass and keys, gradually adding players and instrument-swapping to introduce guitar, violin, vibraphone and tambourine to the mix. Their mostly slow, repetitive atmos-pop fades into wallpaper, except when their Nico-ish singer raises her voice and then late in the set when the band somehow draw all the loose threads of their music into something resembling rock. Against a backdrop of bare trees, Chan Marshall raises her glass and with a welcoming "Cheers!" Cat Power the band ease into a violin-soaked 'Babydoll'. This early confidence proves fleeting when Marshall falters a few bars into 'I Don't Blame You', the band - now on electric guitar, keyboards and drums - rallying around her to pick up the pieces. And so it goes. Hiding behind her hair, rambling about bunny rabbits and Easter and bumming a cigarette, the band's nucleus ranges from focused and flawless ('Good Woman', 'Fool' and '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' are clear highlights) to highly strung and just plain half-cut (when a nervous take on The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' is followed by Marshall squeaking out an Oreo ad, the show descends into the absurd). While the anti-lighting partially screens her from the audience for most of the set, at the end Marshall joins those sitting on the floor at the front. Writhing and howling "We need somebody to love", then returning to the stage to dance a jig before bolting off - juxtaposing her image as soul sister and mad hatter in the space of one song - is indicative of the show as a whole. A balmy, barmy night. Original review no longer online [www.timeoff.com.au/archive/1142/reviews/live1.html]