Killing Heidi, Photograph by Michelle Grace Hunder
Killing Heidi performed at Northcote Theatre, on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, on Saturday 28 June.
Northcote Theatre was buzzing with the energy of a teenage rock show for the last night of Killing Heidi’s 25 years of Reflector tour. Hassall kicked things off, her soulful, powerful voice the focal point during a set of well-crafted retro pop rock songs.
Siobhan Cotchin upped the intensity with her moody and ‘tudey country rock, capturing the spirit of the night with the line “If God is a man, I want to be a woman.” Credit must also go to the boys in the band for donning matching navy blue singlets.
The trifecta of powerhouse frontwomen was completed when Killing Heidi took the stage to perform Reflector in its entirety. Ella Hooper was all smiles and over the top dance moves during opening tracks “Mascara” and “Weir”; a turbo-charged introduction that sent the room into raptures.
These are the band’s two biggest hits, but the unfortunate sequencing was of no consequence as the crowd was more than happy to keep the party going. A mosh-pit was on the verge of breaking out during heavier tracks “Leave me Alone” and “You Don’t Know,” while “Black Sheep” was a lovely way to close out the Reflector set.
Ella’s brother, guitarist Jesse Hooper, remains a dependable sidekick, and newer members of the band, keys player Clio Renner and bass player Phoebe Neilson, shone throughout the show.
The encore of singles from Killing Heidi’s second and third albums, Present and Killing Heidi, including the show’s closing number “I Am,” felt just right.
As the sellout crowd filtered onto High Street, the words “Boring and old” hung in the air, emblazoned on black t-shirts on sale at the merch desk. Twenty-five years on, Reflector may be getting a bit old, but judging by this show, unashamedly fun millennial power pop is anything but boring.
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