Review: Spacey Jane at Freo.Social

Spacey Jane at Freo.Social
w/ Butter, Polly
Friday, June 27, 2025

In a homegrown tribute to their roots, indie rockers Spacey Jane returned to Fremantle for seven sold-out nights at Freo.Social, each show squeezing 700 fans into a sweaty, shoulder-to-shoulder mosh pit. It was a far cry from their first gig just down the road on South Street—this time, the vibe felt like a glowed-up school disco, complete with funky lighting and a crowd that knew every lyric. Frontman Caleb Harper—sporting a white tank, black pants, and a matching black-and-white guitar—grinned at the memory when we caught him on Friday night.

Each evening opened with a nod to WA’s music scene: a lucky dip of local talent. On Friday, triple j favourite Polly took the stage, clearly aware of the doors Spacey Jane had kicked open for West Australian artists. Then came Butter—just as smooth as their name promised—melting jazz and soul into a dreamy indie blend. These acts catered to the deep divers —the fans who lived for uncovering new gems. While they were still refining their stage chops, they gave flashes of future brilliance.

If your eyes drifted from Butter frontman Lachlan Payet—his curls prompted one audience member to hold up a Sideshow Bob meme—you might have caught Sasha Britto’s voice gliding in from stage left. With a smoky croon and magnetic presence, she stood out in her own right.

Spacey Jane’s set began with a collective exhale—not from the crowd (though some had road-tripped down from Broome and Geraldton with the band as their soundtrack), but from the band itself, settling into the comfort of a city that had raised them. They launched into a wave of If That Makes Sense highlights—melancholic, heart-on-sleeve tracks built for swaying with your best mates while ankle-deep in spilt beer. Songs like Through My Teeth, Estimated Delivery, and One Bad Day set the tone.

And yet, as good as Spacey Jane were at coaxing introspection out of a crowd mid-freakout, they were even better at having fun. During Lunchtime, Ashton Le Cornu jumped off the stage and straight into the tight barrier, sending the front row into delighted chaos. That same song packed an epic guitar riff—a pattern that repeated with Feeding the Family, Harper dropping to the stage floor to thrash out his part while lying flat on his back.

All The Noise prompted the biggest crowd chant of the night, with a particular pre-chorus expletive shouted gleefully by hundreds. Bassist Peppa Lane—Spacey Jane’s resident cool chick—bounced around the stage like a caffeinated bunny, jumping up to reach Harper’s microphone, short legs launching her into the spotlight like it was a personal challenge.

But the emotional high point came with Ily the Most, a song written for the person who had scored you those prime tickets. It should have been a phone-lit, teary moment—but most of the crowd was too busy mosaicing their own heartbreak into the lyrics, shouted rather than sung. In the dim, blue-tinged lighting, Harper’s silhouette did most of the heavy emotional lifting.

After nostalgic hits like Booster Seat and the crowd-favourite anti-gardening anthem How to Kill Houseplants, the band returned for their encore. A few scattered fans climbed onto their mates’ shoulders, suddenly transformed into miniature rock gods. Naturally, they wanted more—Spacey Jane have a gift for curating setlists that give something to everyone: from day-one fans to the newer crowd, some of whom had only discovered the band last month when BLACKPINK’s JENNIE posted a video dancing poolside to their track.

The encore offered two songs: So Much Taller and Lots of Nothing. But what lingered wasn’t nothing—it was everything. As the house lights came up and ABBA’s Dancing Queen blared through the speakers, we were reminded that while Spacey Jane had left a deep imprint on the WA music scene that Freo.Social existed to spotlight, they were still rocking the Perth starter pack: dusty moustaches, diehard mateship, and knowing every word to Dancing Queen thanks to their own school discos.

RACHEL FINUCANE

Photos by Sam Mead