End of Fashion @ The Aardvark
w/ The Tommyhawks, Siobhan Cotchin
Friday, July 26, 2019
End Of Fashion made their return to the stage for two very special and intimate shows last weekend at The Aardvark in Fremantle. Those in attendance essentially witnessed the birth of a new phase for the band, with a the new line up and a few new tunes.
But first! Massive props to Siobhan Cotchin and her band for pulling together a great set and jumping in to cover for Fraeya, who unfortunately had to pull out at the last minute. Cotchin is a talented country/folk/pop singer-songwriter who skilfully tugs on your heartstrings with her deeply personal and vulnerable songs. Even her banter between songs is very honest and, by her own admission a bit ‘too real’ at times. Her songs may be lyrically sensitive, but she is still able to draw people out to the dance-floor!
The Tommyhawks are one great big ball of energy, who make it very difficult for you to decide where to focus your attention. Lead vocalist and guitarist Addison Axe lures you in with her incredible vocals that go from sultry and sexy one minute to absolute rock goddess the next! The rhythm section? With Jess (Drums) and Ness (Bass) bouncing around and hitting those beats so fiercely they’d give the Energizer bunny a run for his money. Then there’s Thea, who works that saxophone like it’s nobody’s business.
One false start had Thea admitting it was nerve wracking to be back on stage after a few months away. But she needn’t have worried with the love radiating throughout the room. They certainly made their mark, quite literally… with Axe leaving a big pile of glitter on the stage after her glitter covered head touched the floor during a very impressive bend back.
In recent years, Justin Burford has been keeping himself busy with other projects. You may have seen him on TV or playing Kurt Cobain alongside the Perth Symphony Orchestra, but tonight, it was clear to see that he was absolutely stoked to be back on stage playing his own material with End Of Fashion. And the fans were clearly just as excited to see them, with some literally falling on the stage at the band’s feet and others screaming lyrics, word for word, back at the band, prompting Burford to note, “You know the words better than I do!”
Anthony Jackson (ex-Birds of Tokyo), made his End Of Fashion debut playing alongside Nathan Sproule (Drums) and Julian Dudman (Guitar) who joined frontman Justin Burford when he revived the band, briefly, in 2016 for a short run of shows celebrating the 10 year anniversary of End Of Fashion’s critically acclaimed debut album. And what a strong lineup it is.
The setlist was essentially a debut album heavy set with a few new tracks sprinkled throughout. While it was nice to get a preview into what End Of Fashion’s new album will sound like (and it’s sounding very promising!), it was still the old favourites that got the biggest reactions of the night. “Play Fussy!” A demanding voice cut through the crowd after Burford’s monologue about not leaving the stage for an encore, because that’s stupid. “Okay,” Burford agreed, shrugging his shoulders.
It was great to see End Of Fashion back up on stage after all these years and it will be exciting to see where they go next.
AMY SMITH
Photos by Linda Dunjey & Karen Lowe
