Spacey Jane @ RAC Arena
w/ Old Mervs, Teenage Dads
Friday, August 5, 2022
With their second album Here Comes Everybody, Spacey Jane have been out on the road making up for time lost from the previous border restrictions. Their homecoming show and first-ever arena performance might have posed an overwhelming challenge but the local heroes brimmed brighter than their melodies as they performed in front of thousands of ardent fans.
Since forming in 2016 Spacey Jane have had a rollercoaster of a ride that seems to have only gone up. Members Caleb Harper (lead vocals, guitar, songwriting), Kieran Lama (drummer), Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu (guitar) and bassist Peppa Lane have been a mainstay since 2019 on triple j’s Hottest 100, peaking at number 2 in 2020 with Booster Seat. Touring whenever border restrictions would allow they’ve been able to pierce through the veil and connect to the mood of the times with their take on bittersweet, contemplative indie rock.
For their first show at RAC Arena, the floor and first level of the stands had a very healthy turnout of majorly young twenty-somethings who were buzzing with anticipation. Old Mervs opened the night, a late addition after I Know Leopard pulled out. This also meant that Teenage Dads took the main support spot and they gleefully ran with it putting in a high-energy set featuring songs like Sunburnt and a spirited cover of Postman Pat which must have been a first for the Arena.
Soon enough the lights dimmed and the LED screens at the back of the stage announced: “Here Comes Spacey Jane” before blacking out, with the added drama of a timer counting down to zero, a spotlight drenched the lone figure of Harper as he began to croon opener Sitting Up. The screams were loud and the sing-a-long session began as the band then found their footing through Straightfaced. Then after the sparkling guitar intro of Lunchtime they took it up a notch as if they realised where they were and were determined to make it count. Fans responded in kind with those in the stands getting on their feet to bop along.
A whimsical rendition of Bothers Me allowed Harper to sing with a sweetness that companioned the more ruminative Sawteeth. Watching the foursome, it’s hard not to fall for Spacey Jane. Their songwriting strengths lie in being able to give emotional brevity to the quieter moments of life and in a live setting their songs blossomed.
Before diving into the acoustic Pulling Through, it wasn’t lost on the band how significant the night was with Lama saying “It’s good to be home…seriously like we don’t usually play venues like this. This is far and away the largest setting we’ve played in.”
And overall Spacey Jane did the best with what they had on hand. An impressive lighting rig gave each song personality and the ever-changing graphics became another character. However, given the Arena setting, it would’ve been great had the side screens been utilised to show the members because without them they were swallowed up by their lights.
Feeding the Family and Thrills amped up the crowd and allowed Hardman-Le Cornu and Lane to let loose on stage as they moved across with abandonment. It was a much-needed contrast against a set that largely delivered introspective, easy-tempo songs including Clean My Car and It’s Been A Long Day. It sounded great but as a whole left you wanting for more light and shade to the setlist.
Did it matter to the crowd? Not so much, as people lifted their phones and sang to each other with smiles on their faces. By the time Booster Seat made its appearance Spacey Jane had claimed a crowd of thousands.
Once the last encore and confetti cannons had fired off during Lots Of Nothing Spacey Jane delivered what their fans craved. For what could have been an intimidating space, Spacey Jane laid down a solid show that radiated an intimacy proving that whilst the venues may have gotten bigger, the band retain an affinity with fans.
MELANIE GRIFFITHS
Photos by Talia Ferguson
