Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi
Pix by Sarah Gilpin
It was with a sense of joy and excitement that I took myself along to the atmospheric Brisbane venue, the Tivoli, to see Killing Heidi. They are to play their debut album Reflector in full as it has reached the milestone age of 25 years old. Killing Heidi is currently on a national tour in 2025 celebrating this fact. The concert promised, and delivered, a blending of musical nostalgia with the new: as Killing Heidi brought along with them two of Australia’s next generation of outstanding and distinctive singer-songwriters in Victoria’s Hassall and Western Australia’s Siobhan Cotchin.
The mood of the capacity crowd was excited as we lined up on a chill Brisbane evening. It was a Thursday night, but the sold-out audience had a festive party vibe happening already and it was in that spirit that Hassall kicked off the evening with her first ever performance in the lovely Tivoli venue.
Melbourne singer-songwriter Hassall, along with accompanying musician Will, lit up the stage and the venue with a stripped back performance using guitar, synth, kick drum and snare drum. From the start of her captivating eight-song set that commenced with Out Of Date, Overpopulator and the funny, if not disturbing Dinner Table, Hassall and Will created a sophisticated busker duo vibe with red wine and shared duties.
Will combined with Hassall to bring a fuller sound to her insightful narrative songs. He was essential in working Hassall’s guitar pedals and making sure she “had things all together” as she shared anecdotes behind her songs, about the matters people face in life and the big news that Hassall has a debut album coming out in a week: Means More To Me Than You. This is an enormous achievement, and it will include songs such as Bad Boy, the wonderfully observed Tracy Grimshaw, the vulnerable and emotional raw Boss Level Shit and Simple.
Hassall closed out her set with the wonderful Dumbest Smile and that song makes everyone smile who hears it. She thanked the crowd for coming early, the Tivoli team and paid tribute to Killing Heidi as she prepared the crowd for Siobhan Cotchin. Her down-to-earth authenticity and her grassroots energy endeared her to the Tivoli crowd. We cannot wait to see Hassall return to Brisbane in September.
Next up to the stage was Perth’s multiple West Australian Music (WAM) award-winning musician Siobhan Cotchin. The black and silver, indie country-rock look complete with stylish cowboy hat set the scene. But it was the amazing chemistry between Cotchin and her amazing band members that ensured her eleven-song set was tight, mesmerising and right on the money as her fantastic songs hit the sweet spot.
Cotchin looked right at home in front of the sold-out crowd as she launched into Didn’t See The Sun and after a quick “hello and a confession of crying when Killing Heidi asked her on the tour to support them” she moved quickly into the song Cross The Line. Her beautifully drawn and considered songs like Fill My Cup, Do You Know What I Mean, the wonderful anti-patriarchy anthem If God Is A Man and How Does It Feel are packed with genuine raw honesty and energy. She mused: “my songs are about my feelings: I have a lot of feelings”.
Cotchin regaled the crowd with songs about shitty friends, The Truth Always Comes Out and broken relationships in the outstanding Ghosts Of Us. Her raw drive in I’m Not Finished Yet and spirit in Give It Up were on full display. Her performance tonight certainly would have won her more new fans in Brisbane. It has to be said that Killing Heidi might just have been some of her biggest fans in the building as Ella Hooper cited her and Hassall as the “future of music”. Siobhan Cotchin closed out her stunning performance with Overdrive. And, with both the supporting acts having done a really fantastic job at warming up the crowd, it meant that after a short stage re-arrange that it was time for Killing Heidi to take to the stage.
And they exploded onto it, launching straight into the first song on Reflector, Mascara, and it was a powerful beginning. The band comprises siblings Ella and Jesse Hooper, with the original drummer Adam Pedretti and, as Ella Hooper quipped: “the younger and sexier” band members, Clio Renner (keys) and Phoebe Neilson (bass).
Tonight’s performance was about playing Reflector in full: from song one to twelve. This meant that the first three opening songs are Killing Heidi’s most popular tracks, and it was with that knowledge that songs two, Weir, and song three, Superman/Supergirl, followed. It was engines at full rev and throttle from the start, and there was not much time to rest – but Hooper did slow things down and sipped some white wine between songs as she looked a little unwell – but she did not let this impact her performance or the delivery of the songs. “I’m determined to give you the full ‘Reflector’ experience even it kills me… which it just might!” she said. “But we so wanted to come back here to Brisbane to play as our gig at Good Things, was it across the road, had a few technical problems, and we didn’t perform the album in full as we intended”.
It was the stripped-back Astral Boy that showed the love in the venue for this album as the crowd sang along and waved their phone lights in the air. Killing Heidi’s 2000 album Reflector connected with people on such a deep level when it was released. Throughout the set, fans reciprocated this love; they reconnected to their teenage years and passionately screamed every word, from every song, back at the band. And many people were transported back to their high school days. Hooper said, “let’s go back to high school and remember how much we hated it. Maybe we should go back there and wag. Well – let’s get back to the rockin’ out” as the pop-punk Leave Me Alone was delivered.
The band stopped to discuss the nature of time. Hooper stated that “it was not possible that the album came out 25 years ago, – maybe it was 2.5 years ago,” she quipped. The reality is that a quarter of a century has sped by us. What was great was to hear songs not often performed live, such as You Don’t Know, A Jar Labelled Small and Class Celebrities. There was even a clap and click-a-long moment in the performance of Live Without It, which was followed by Real People. Then, Jon’s Song was played, and Ella Hooper stated: “we don’t really play this song” so it was special to hear it. Then, the album closed out with the lovely Black Sheep and the set was over. Killing Heidi thanked the crowd and left the stage.
Jesse Hooper had expressed his genuine joy and gratitude to the crowd multiple times throughout the night, but when he returned to the stage he said “we haven’t come all this way to Brisbane not play a few more bangers” as the band took their spots and delivered a three-song encore of Calm Down followed by the divine Heavensent. Then, Killing Heidi delivered the wonderfully anthemic song I Am. It closed out a fantastic and energetic performance.
From Killing Heidi’s first song Kettle to the creation and release of their debut album Reflector and then their other albums Present and Killing Heidi, the band’s songs are evidence of the legacy they have created and the impact they have made, and make, on the Australian music scene. Yes. They were young in 2000. But their music has stood the test of time, and now it has such a multi-generational reach, especially when the band perform their songs with such love and joy.
As Ella Hooper stated: “Reflector tells the story of our teenage times, I might not have known it all at 15, and I got some bits wrong, especially some things about make-up, but it connects us to who we were and who we are now”. And, the crowd at the Tivoli certainly loved the now and the Reflector time warp and walked out of the venue with smiles all over their faces.
