Nilüfer Yanya at East Perth Power Station
Nilüfer Yanya at East Perth Power Station
w/ Little Guilt
Friday, Febuary 20, 2026
Recalling the past while looking to the future, Perth Festival’s revamped East Perth Power Station played host to the avant-garde art-rock soundscapes of London’s Nilüfer Yanya with support from local, sun-drenched indie pop favourites Little Guilt. Marking the singer’s first visit to Perth, Yanya was resplendent on stage as she reached into a catalogue that, while unapologetically wearing its nineties influences on its sleeves, proves she is definitively right in the centre of the current zeitgeist.
Opening the night, Little Guilt showed why they are currently one of Perth’s most promising musical exports. Since emerging in 2021, the five-piece have refined a summery, soulful sound that feels ready for festival stages across the country. The most obvious weapon that the group possesses is right up front in the form of Ella Melton and Lachlan “Mop” Thompson’s dual-vocal talents. The duo’s on-stage interplay and harmonisation felt natural and effortless, helping tracks like the laid-back, soulful groove of Tasty Lies to really worm their way into the listener’s ear.
While less obvious, the band’s newest addition, bassist Bevyn Tarboton, is another key component of their arsenal. Tarboton’s inventive, bopping lines help propel each track, with his work on the rockier SLUSH a particularly evocative moment of his musical prowess.
Elsewhere, the group served up a look into their future as they debuted two new tracks: an untitled acoustic number and the dream-pop learning Pull, which swirled over the ever-growing crowd.
A cover of Phantogram’s When I’m Small mid-set felt like a very safe choice, and while welcome, the band should definitely take heed that their own material garnered the biggest responses on the night. The electro-fused All The Way was a clear example of this, while closer, freakshow, left the audience on a high.
After a brief pause between acts, the atmosphere shifted noticeably as Nilüfer Yanya took to the stage. Moving from summery vibes into one of artistic introspection, Yanya was a figure of confidence as she led her band through the off-kilter rock of title track 2024’s My Method Actor and the 90s trip-hop-fused L/R and chase me.
It was clear that Yanya’s fellow performers were more than just backing musicians, as their onstage musical interaction demonstrated a mutual understanding of one another. Guitarist Wilma Archer shone in the set’s opening charge, with his rhythmic guitar finding all the right spaces to fill amongst Yanya’s folk-picked rythyms. Transitioning from electric to acoustic for the 90s-coded rocker Like I Say (I Runaway), Archer’s droney, twangy intro was immediately recognisable, sparking a wave of movement throughout the audience.
Moving into the middle of the set, Yanya slowed proceedings down. The tempo chamge allowed the power of her songwriting to come to fore, as well as allowing multi-instrumentalist “Jazzi” Bobbi Driessen the opportunity to command space with her unique hauntingly melodic contributions. While the slow-burn nature of tracks like Binding resulted in some restless chatter from the back of the crowd, the attentive fans at the front were treated to a stunning interweaving of aural textures; with this collection of songs feeling like a series of ever-evolving soundscapes embued with emotional resonance.
The undisputed highlight of this stretch was The Dealer, where the stage transformed into a laboratory of sound. Led by Ellis Dupuy’s hypnotic, fast-paced drumming and anchored by the dulcet, grounding bass tones of Beth O’Lenahan, there was a fierceness present studio recording only hints at. As the track built to its climax, Archer dropped to his pedalboard to expand the sonic roar while Driessen fed her saxophone through a series of effects pedals, serving to create a wave of orchestral reverberation throughout the venue. Maintaining this high energy, the equally stunning Tricky-esque breakbeat of Stabilise was next and the perfect coda for the main set.
After a brief respite offstage, Yanya returned to deliver a rousing rendition of PJ Harvey’s Rid Of Me. The track was an inspired choice, with Yanya channelling a similar anarchic, feminist energy to that of the original.
Closing the night with the glorious midnight sun, a track that would not have sounded out of place on a 90s slacker rock compilation featuring Beck and Harvey Danger, Yanya had the audience swaying in unison. While reminiscent of a previous era, the song’s epic slow build and stunning musical arrangement prove that Yanya is an artist not only of the now but also one to look for into the future.
MICHAEL HOLLICK
Photos by Adrian Thomson
