Review: King Stingray at Fremantle Arts Centre

King Stingray at Fremantle Arts Centre
w/ Beddy Rays, The Belair Lip Bombs
Friday, April 4, 2025

On a blustery Friday night in Fremantle, thousands of people flocked to Freo Arts Centre to bask in the warm sounds of Arnhem Land rockers King Stingray. While the ARIA Award-winning act had been to the west before, this headline performance on a big outdoor stage, joined by fellow Aussie rock groups Beddy Rays and The Belair Lip Bombs, was a significant level up, allowing them to bring a more complete set list and live show to their fans.

Known for their distinctive ‘Yolŋu surf rock’ sound, with lyrics sung in both English and their local tongue, Yolŋu Matha, the group arrived armed with new material from their second full-length album, last year’s For the Dreams. However, for this tour, the group was without their founding member and former lead singer Yirrŋa Yunupiŋu, who parted ways with the group last month. Replacing him on the mic this time was Ngalakan Wanambi, who joined the group on vocals for their US tour last year.

Melbourne post-punks The Belair Lip Bombs kicked off the evening, treating early arrivals to a short but sweet set that showcased their impressive body of work to date. Propelled by Maisie Everett’s irresistible vocal hooks and plenty of punchy, new-wave-inspired riffs, they had the crowd bopping along to highlights from their 2023 debut album, including Look the Part and the title track, Lush Life. With just a 30-minute set to work with, it was certainly more a sprint than a marathon, but they charged to the finish line triumphantly with the irrepressible Say My Name. Possibly one of the most exciting young bands in the country right now, don’t miss them next time they make their way over to the west.

Next up, Brissie’s Beddy Rays wasted no time winning over the audience with a hard-hitting set of fun, fast pop punk. Hold on Me got the crowd singing along from the get-go, before singer/guitarist “Jacko” van Issum acknowledged, “It’s a pretty shit day outside,” with Better Weather, looking on the bright side with its catchy chorus, “I know in time that things get better.” Their cover of Thelma Plum’s Better in Blak, originally performed on triple j’s Like A Version, was always going to be a winner, but nothing hit higher heights than their breakout hit, Sobercoaster. After thanking King Stingray and The Belair Lip Bombs for the good times they shared on the national tour, they left nothing in the tank, building up to a frenetic finish before bowing out to the cheering crowd.

The stage was then set for the main act, and it’s hard to think of a stage more suited for the occasion than Freo Arts Centre. While the conditions were less than ideal, it would have been less of a vibe to see King Stingray in a confined theatre, with their music best enjoyed under the sun or stars. The crowd was noticeably mixed, with people of all ages and musical persuasions coming together to see King Stingray wrap up their Australian tour. It’s no surprise, given the band seems to effortlessly blend many styles of music, with surf rock, reggae, Australiana, and even shades of shoegaze and psychedelica characterising their sound.

The soundtrack of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly rang through the speakers, and from the pit to the grassy hill, the crowd fell to a hush as the silhouetted band members took their positions. The lights then came on to reveal a backdrop of a setting sun that danced in the breeze before King Stingray got the party started.

The sound of dog howls signalled the beginning of their hit song Camp Dog, while Light Up My Path was a rousing follower. They then shared the meaning behind one of their earliest singles, Milkumana, explaining that it was about the importance of passing on knowledge through stories and song. But it was the enchanting extended intro to Hey Wanhaka when the night hit its peak. With reverb-drenched guitars and stirring didgeridoos, the group locked into a groove that had everyone in a trance.

For many fans, the emphatic 2022 single Get Me Out was their first introduction to the group, and they all found their voice in the chorus. Written about a relative getting lost in Melbourne, the song, with its beltable chorus line “Get me out of the city,” hit home for listeners through COVID lockdowns and is clearly destined to live long as a classic Aussie anthem.

There are no shortage of incredible bands for us Aussies to be proud of, but it feels all the more special with King Stingray, who simply have a sound that could not come from anywhere else. Weaving together ancient language, sun-drenched guitars, and spellbinding didgeridoos, their music vividly portrays a side of the country often unseen by city dwellers, and it’s great to see them now taking their sound to the world. Drawing the epic set to a close, the emphatic eighties-tinged Southerly, with its key lyric “I don’t want to be anywhere else right now,” rang true with everyone fortunate enough to be there on the night.

BRAYDEN EDWARDS

Photos by Mikaela James