Neck of the Woods became Georgia Knight's very own unsettling little universe

Georgia Knight's long-awaited return to the stage proved that some performances are worth postponing. Originally scheduled for April, before weather conditions forced a delay, Saturday's performance at Neck of the Woods was like stepping into another world.

The evening opened with 'Huaxi Flowerstream', a Māori/Chinese duo blending drums and guzheng into something beautifully genre-fluid. Their set drifted between structured rhythms and freeform passages, experimenting with unusual time signatures like 5/4 in a way that was playful. The contrast between the earthy pulse of the percussion and the shimmering delicacy of the guzheng created a tension that perfectly prepared the audience for the rest of the evening.

The majority of the night's material came from 'Beanpole', Georgia Knight's debut and most recent album, which was released in February this year. Hearing these tracks live definitely added a new dimension to the record, transforming intimate tracks into vast live soundscapes. What makes Georgia Knight so compelling is her ability to build atmosphere. Listening to the album through headphones only captures fragments of what she creates live. In person, the music becomes all consuming. Hypnotic, raw and deeply melancholic.

At the centre of Georgia's sound is her autoharp. In her hands, it's a folk instrument turned strange dreamscape portal. Her songs exist in their own unsettling little universe, pulling the audience into the eerie spaces between lyrics as much as the words themselves. There's a haunting familiarity about Georgia's work, like recalling a dream you can't fully place. For childhood fans of Coraline, you would likely find yourself drawn to the same dark whimsy and uncanny texture that Georgia channels throughout her performances.

Georgia Knight crafted a live experience I shall not soon forget. One that continues to linger long after the final note had faded.