Review: Belle and Sebastian at Astor Theatre

Belle and Sebastian play If You’re Feeling Sinister at Astor Theatre
w/ Any Young Mechanic
Friday, September 18, 2026

Talk about lemons to lemonade. When the first of Belle and Sebastian’s two Astor dates (the one performing Tigermilk) was cancelled due to freight problems on Thursday, singer/guitarists Stuart Murdoch and Stevie Jackson invited Perth to an impromptu free show under the stars to make up for it.

That was Thursday night at Langley Park, to a gathering of some 50 elated punters who chatted with them and helped choose 10 campfire-singalong style tunes in a truly unplugged performance. With a cover of Venus next to faves that wouldn’t be aired the following night, including Funny Little Frog and Seymour Stein, it was the most intimate of special occasions.

By the time it got to Friday at the Astor, the previous night was the stuff of legend. Never mind the celebratory air due to the Dockers getting up in the last quarter, Belle and Sebastian had added to their already considerable myth by showing fans how seriously they take them. As the night progressed, a photo of this gathering set against the city skyline lit up the screen, alongside a none-too-shabby quokka selfie and rather beautiful a pic taken at City Beach that Murdoch declared the best he’d ever taken. Props.

South Australian band Any Young Mechanic were a revelation themselves in the opening slot, even if they were competing with a crowd who were largely watching Kayo Sports on their phones as the Dockers brought it home. It was a packed Astor and those of us getting a look at their first-ever Perth performance were spellbound by the unique combination of instruments: double bass, banjo, fiddle, drums and acoustic guitar, tied together by Sam Wilson’s distinctive voice with a hint of Fleet Foxes on standouts such as Atlas, Here You Are (which closes this year’s debut album, The Modern Shoe is Ruining the Foot). A thing of pastoral, rustic and feral beauty, they could be from Freo, yet the honed arrangements and tight musicianship spoke volumes about their recent European tour experience. A fine band and one to watch.

With history in their pocket, Belle and Sebastian‘s production was stepped up a notch for this 30th anniversary tour of landmark album If You’re Feeling Sinister. Widely regarded as one of the very best albums of the 90s, the intro was a suitably circumspect video of the record’s cover star, Ciara MacLavery, reminiscing in a lovely Glasgow brogue. Scene perfectly set, the band emerged with a cinematic take on album opener The Stars of Track and Field, punctuated by Fraser Tannock’s triumphant trumpet solos.

In truth they’ve been getting better as a live act progressively for three decades. Initially a bedroom recording act hesitant to take the stage due to Murdoch’s battle with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in his 20s, the seven-piece touring incarnation is a well-oiled machine these days. Jumping onto an upright piano centrestage for Seeing Other People, Murdoch is still the focal point, but his chemistry with other players (notably his harmonies with Jackson) is better than ever.

Jackson pulled off some epic harmonica shreds for Me and the Major, whilst his vocals were central to The Boy Done Wrong Again, as was Sarah Martin’s soaring violin solo. But what’s evident about Sinister in retrospect is just how much of a Murdoch album it is, and the biggest songs (Like Dylan in the Movies, Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, the title track) were simply singalongs with Stuart. An incredibly consistent set of songs, they saved the best for last with a fully rocked-up Judy and the Dream of Horses finishing the main set, brought to life with trumpet and a wistful pair of recorders.

Despite album credits rolling down the big screen, the set was barely halfway through, and it was all-in celebration from there. Electronic Renaissance gave us ravey visuals and a melodica solo; My Wandering Days Are Over featured wonderful visuals of lyrics reimagined as album covers (with that distinct B&S artwork); Piazza, New York Catcher was a perfect acoustic singalong; I Didn’t See It Coming, an elating dance number with vocals from Martin; and of course, The Boy With the Arab Strap saw the familiar trick of allowing a lucky 20 or so up on stage to dance with the band to their most popular tune.

Combined with main-set finale Another Sunny Day, the closing trio made for a proper dance party on the Astor floor, and a second encore was rightly called for. Whilst snippets of both Lazy Line Painter Jane and Dog on Wheels were both teased for a minute each, it was the unlikely request of If She Wants Me from 2003 that closed the night, and it was no less charming than anything that preceded it.

“We’ll see you again soon,” Murdoch assured us at the close. “We always come to Perth!”

HARVEY RAE