Shrouded by darkness, with only the illumination of blood red lights and a wall of haze to enhance his shadow, one of the more mystical figures in the modern music scene hit the Enmore Theatre stage. The rise of New Jersey-based singer-songwriter mk.gee has been meteoric if not entirely unexpected. A cursory glance at recent YouTube videos of mk.gee and his band performing on shows like Jimmy Kimmel reveal a legion of fans claiming that they were in on the singer before he hit superstardom. Given that tickets to his Sydney show sold out in an instant, leading to a venue upgrade, which was reflective of the trend across the country, it’s safe to say that new fans might have already missed the boat.

Mk.gee’s style invokes heavy parallels to the 80s, with influences like Sting and Phil Collins immediately apparent. Yet there’s something fresh about the music, in a way that takes mk.gee beyond a mere throwback to something with a lot more depth. 

His debut studio album, Two Star & the Dream Police, which was played in its entirety in the Sydney show, showcased mk.gee’s incredible guitar skills, which were really the defining feature of the set. The music was esoteric, but not so obscure that it alienated mainstream listeners, which really allowed the guitar playing to shine. The star manipulated a variety of different tones and showed off all the capabilities of his instrument as he worked through his setlist. 

The fans in attendance were knowledgeable, skewing more towards diehards than casuals (simply by virtue of the scarcity of tickets). The crowd rode on every riff and every word, taking in the virtuosic show in front of them. When first listening to mk.gee’s studio work, it is easy to overlook the genius behind the music, with all the flaws and intricacies in the craftsmanship ironed out to almost muffle the sound. Hearing the songs live, amplified by the voices of thousands of fans, the sheer talent of the performer became much clearer, with the opportunity to see the layers to the craft being beneficial to this appreciation.

Mk.gee and his band were shrouded in darkness for the vast majority of the set, which did impede connection to some extent. After a while, some of the more instrumental numbers started to blend into one another a little bit more, without vocals to punctuate the songs. 

Through no fault of the performers, the crowd also took a while to warm up, with a large number of the audience members being caught outside at the box office at the start of the set. Whether that was due to a Ticketek error or a lack of awareness of an earlier start time, it meant that some members of the crowd were trickling in throughout the first half hour of the set, leading to a somewhat muted atmosphere.

The singer also barely interacted with his audience, with a brief cry of “Sydney” the only real interaction. While this fit with the air of mystique that he attempted to create by shrouding his face and by the moody lighting, it would have perhaps been nice to have a little more crowd interaction, especially given the level of fervency of support within the venue. 

The set was at its best when the singer performed some of his biggest vocal hits, which allowed the spotlight to be shared by his incredible guitar playing and light, airy vocals. For all the esotericism of the material, it was actually when mk.gee strayed towards a more pop sound that he got the largest ovation. When he performed “Are You Looking Up”, he had the whole crowd singing along, as a sea of camera phones rose as he explored a synth-heavy sound which combined beautifully with his guitar skills to close out the main set. 

As he came back for his encore, he finished the night with the groove and funk-tinged, Prince-esque “ROCKMAN” which had the crowd up dancing as they jumped into oblivion while mk.gee slowly faded into darkness. It was a great concert, even if perhaps it yearned for a little more variety (like a cover or two), but it absolutely showcased the talent of one of the most promising musicians out there at the moment. Maybe this was mk.gee pre-superstardom, but it sure feels like he has one step already there. 

Rating: ★★★★

Mk.gee – Enmore Theatre – 5^th December, 2024