Review: Jade Rich at Four5Nine

Jade Rich at Four5Nine
w/ Sago, Lander, Kaeda Daze
Saturday, October 7, 2023

Following on from the release of Mind Reader in April, Jade Rich celebrated the release of her new single Polite with a launch show at Four5Nine on Saturday night.

Down in Four5Nine, the stage was surrounded by red curtains and ambient lighting, reminiscent of the red room from Twin Peaks. Kaeda Daze started the night off with her beautiful vocals and autobiographical lyrics, including a song about her experience in the Melbourne lockdowns. Daze is certainly an artist to listen out for as she grows and develops her craft.

Lander were up next, and the four-piece entertained the growing crowd with a set of soulful and ambient RnB compositions. While 5-10 minute songs without any lyrics might not be for everyone, their energy and passion were clearly noticeable, and the songs allowed for easy listening over drinks and conversations.

The final support act on the night were Sago, another neo-soul group from Perth who performed RnB and jazz-inspired songs akin to Amy Winehouse’s debut album Frank. Along with their own songs, the five-piece played covers of No Diggity by Blackstreet and American Boy by Estelle and Kanye West.

Finally, Jade Rich came out to the cheers of the audience, who by now were cramped into the small space in front of the stage.

Rich shared that her first track, On the Hill, was about watching a sunset on Scarborough beach in a teenage romance filled with butterflies in the stomach – a feeling that conveyed beautifully in a live setting with horns, drums, and her soulful voice. 

She followed up with her recent single Mind Reader, which lifted the energy in the room and got the crowd excited. In between songs, Rich told stories of how the writing came about, including “the typical move to Melbourne, everyone in Perth does,” which preceded the songs, Ease My Mind and 65 Days.

To cap off the night, Rich ended with the song everyone came to see, and performed Polite live for the first time. The irresistible pop song, about being ‘too polite’ and too much of a people-pleaser in relationships, was a treat to the ears to listen to live, and it was a joy to watch Rich excitedly and giddily sing for her fans.

Overall, it was delightful to see such great local talent on display at Rich's single launch. With a packed-out venue, it made for a great night out celebrating Perth's growing music scene.

ETHAN GREGORY

Photos by Dave Walters