Freo-locals Spacey Jane took to the stage at Mojo’s Bar last Friday night. Supported by Izatang, Jack Davies, and the Bush Chooks, and Terrible Signal, it was a night filled with a great range of genres, a couple of boots to the head and a big happy birthday.
For such an intimate and small venue, Mojo’s was busy from the get-go. I was pleasantly surprised by the turn out considering the downpour of rain and heavy winds that had graced Perth all day. Proper respects to everyone who braved the cold to make it to the gig.
The night kicked off with Izatang who completely wowed the crowd with their soul jazz-funk sound. The band’s frontwoman had a unique and captivating voice to listen to, with the trumpet adding something special to their set. The standout from the set was Monkey Boy, a song that got the crowd bopping along. You couldn’t help but be mesmerised by the monkey-like screeches in the middle of the song. The silence between songs was filled with random facts, such as ‘slugs have four noses’. Good tunes and random trivia, what more could you want from a band?
Jack Davies and the Bush Chooks were up next to perform their ‘quiet folk music’. The band played with a violinist, which was a nice addition from the last time I saw them. Frontman Jack Davies has such a raw and honest voice that makes you cling on to his every word. A personal favourite was Rosemary Mushrooms. The song had such moving lyrics and was so captivating as Davies and the band embarked on a story. They appear to be at home on the stage and create such a warm and friendly atmosphere. The highlight of the set was definitely when Davies’ friends in the crowd started singing happy birthday and before he knew it, the whole venue had joined the chorus. It was such a wholesome moment, and you could really recognise the feeling of community throughout the crowd.
Terrible Signal took to the stage next. I was captivated before they had even begun, purely because the band’s frontman, Vincent Buchanan-Simpson, had the greatest guitar I had ever seen – glitter is all I have to say. The crowd bopped and swayed along to Terrible Signal’s ‘80s pop. Buchanan-Simpson spoke to the crowd with such speed it was as if he had drunk four red bulls beforehand and was buzzing with energy. This infectious energy spread throughout the venue with everyone smiling and dancing along.
It was easy to see that the crowd was eager for the main event. Everyone around me was jittery with excitement and kept asking ‘are they coming on yet?’ Once Spacey Jane took to the stage the party began. The band kicked off with some slower songs, slower by their standards anyways. Never Been Sure of Anything was as good as always. With a bouncy beat and catchy lyrics, this tune got the crowd jumping and swaying along.
They jumped into the recent track So You Wanna from their double A-side, In the Meantime, and it was hard not to dance along. The crowd was squished and sweaty as they bopped along and, those who could, shouted along. Spacey Jane played a few new songs that are yet to be released, and seem to be taking a more indie pop path than the grittier sound of some of their older songs. It was good to see that there are some new tunes on the horizon.
The band rocked through their EP, playing Feels Better, Feeding the Family and Papava. The energy throughout the crowd was truly something else. The crowd favourites were clear by the response, Still Running being an obvious winner. For such a small venue, Mojo’s felt like it was packed full. There was multiple crowd surfing attempts, some more successful than others, and everyone was jumping up against each other as they rocked out hard to a Spacey Jane classic.
After a short break, they came back to play Old Enough, another track from the recent double A-side. With a summery vibe and incredibly catchy beat, I can’t help but think of warm weather and good times listening to this. It’s a song that you just have to dance to. Just when the crowd couldn’t possibly get more pumped, they played Thrills. What a way to end the show. The crowd adored Spacey Jane and they put on a show to remember.
From first seeing them open for Great Gable in October last year, they’ve definitely come a long way. This was the first time I had seen the band headline their own show instead of seeing them as a support act, and it was very refreshing to watch them ooze coolness and confidence in a venue they were clearly comfortable in. Spacey Jane’s gritty garage-rock is something that’s hard not to love and will leave you anticipating the next show.