An assortment of life experiences and music styles tied together at the world premiere of Bows Don’t Go on Friday February 1.

Local MC Seasta Chani’s candid, loosely autobiographical, accounts of “birth, death, travel and love” weave together songs that embrace hip hop, country, jazz and folk sounds.

Uncomfortably perched upon the top bench in the wooden Castello tent, I feared that 90 minutes might be a little too long for one performer to hold my full attention.

Filled with stories about sex and love, infused with insights into the human condition, and sprinkled with daggy cultural references, Bows Don’t Go occupies a space somewhere between a cheeky flick through a Cosmo magazine and an honest discussion with a friend.

In bows since they were forced upon her at private school, Seasta tells us of bows undone by lovers, bows around flowers from unrequited suitors, bows used to manipulate strangers and bows tying hands down in moments of passion.

If it weren’t for their careful application to only the most poignant moments, the simple props
and ribbons could have made the production look like a Year 12 Original.

Bows Don’t Go is set in a “moment”-hungry culture where individuals fear not karma, but missing out on experiences.

It is through Seasta’s music that her distinctly female fears and vulnerabilities break through her tough veneer.

Sweet Brown, Seasta’s punchy ode to Aboriginal men was a highlight of the show with featuring the unique line “he showed me an emu in the sky that I’d never seen before”.

Listening to the soundtrack after the show, I gained further appreciation for Seasta’s music, particularly the recording of Black Raven, which made the tidy rhymes I had heard live even funkier.

Tracks were created with a cast of Perth talent including Rob Shaker, Mei Saraswati, Cat Edmunds, Tom O’Halloran and Billie Rogers.

While it probably had a lot to do with the unconventional seating (and my constant quest for the
perfect foothold) Bows Don’t Go seemed to drag out far too long.

Seasta Chani proved herself a brave storyteller and entertainer with a diverse range of talents but cutting out some of the less-essential scenes or changing the pace could have made Bows Don’t Go easier on the audience.

Bows Don’t Go runs until February 5 and is part of Fringe World 2013.