SIOBHAN COTCHIN & FOOL NELSON SUPPORT KINGSWOOD AT THE ROSEMOUNT | 27/05/2023

Photography - Lewis Taylor

You could feel the energy as soon as you stepped into The Rosemount beer garden on Saturday night as people started settling in for one of Kingswoods WA legs on their National tour. Local legends Fool Nelson and Siobhan Cotchin were up first and we were dying for the show to start.

We couldn't find a seat in the main room at the Rosie as a decent crowd waited for the first act of the night, Fool Nelson. Never seeing them play live before, I was excited to see what the trio had to offer. 

For a three piece this band really packed a punch, never did you feel the absence of awesome from these guys as they played through their released setlist with a few extra bonuses of unreleased numbers. Their opening track that I believe was called ‘Falling Apart’ had their signature sound with their introspective and poetic lyrics.

Darcy Steven was hard to take his eyes off as he juggled the bass and lead lines of the show. Jumping between electric and bass and even starting a track with the bass lines on the guitar. This added a really cool contrast and dynamic to the show and opened up Ned Broadbents drums to create that rock, pop anthem vibe. This guy rocked so hard the crash cymbal came off in the last few hits of ‘Sweet Time’. This track got the dancefloor moving with massive support from fans and early arrivers.

It is hard not to dance to this band, they have an incredibly confident presence on stage and it honestly just looked like a bunch of fun for them. Their emotionally evocative lyrics about love and self discovery are catchy and downright captivating. Tom Broadbents vocal range was what drew you in, the flawless and effortless performance was dynamic in volume, tone and emotion. Their overall vibe encapsulates that ‘coming of age’ indie-rock sound with just a dash of punk.

By the time their last couple of tracks were up the room was already half full, it would have been a shame to have just missed the entirety of this energetic performance. But I wouldn’t worry, I’m sure we’ll be seeing these three on even bigger stages soon.

Next up was rock goddess and bad bitch, Siobhan Cotchin. The multi award winning artist owns any stage she finds herself upon and it really is something to behold. Beyond the music, her bubbly and energetic personality is what initially wins the crowd over. 

Her set included some of our favourite releases plus a rock cover of Britney Spears ‘Gimme More’. A track she convinced the room was her own as you spend the first few phrases trying to put your finger on how you know these lyrics so well. Her incredible solo in this performance was just awesome and inspiring. It’s really hard to describe unless you’ve seen her in action.

We got more peeks of her new record when she performed the title track ‘Miss Reckless’. Cotchin described this track as the ode to the person she wants to be as she enters into her ‘bad bitch’ era. It is safe to say that she is there and that energy oozes through her performance and aura. ‘Miss Reckless’ is a great insight into the upcoming record, the track had a steady plucking lead melody that led the track through verses filled with Cotchins candid expression and contemplative themes, to dynamic and grungy rock choruses. With an incredibly tight band surrounding her, the family she has taken on this journey knows exactly how to compliment her style.

I really enjoyed seeing ‘If God Is A Man’ performed with the full band live. This recently released collab track between Dylan Ollivierre and Carmen Pepper (The Money War) and Paige Valentine carries a powerful message and an even more powerful performance. The debut off the upcoming record looks like a ball to play live as you watch the band smile and nod to each other in between emotive lyrical performances with the perfect amount of attitude. I had goosebumps all over as they pulled back right before the final chorus's massive ending.

As the set came to an end I couldn’t believe how quickly time had passed, although it’s hard to not want more with an artist like this. Her popular releases ‘How Does It Feel?’ and debut ‘Tear Myself Apart’ highlight her effortless and purposeful guitar playing, as well as her gorgeous buttery yet strong vocals. It is no secret that this artist is an absolute powerhouse.

Headlining the night on their national tour were Melbournes ARIA nominees Kingswood, on their eighty-something show this group had an absolute fire in their belly to entertain this room and the feeling of stoked-ness to be here in Perth was nothing but genuine.

They came straight into roaring up the crowd with their extremely fun energy and captivating live performance as they engaged the entire stage and crowd with almost every move. The crowd was hit by a full sound and by the time they swung into their rock anthem ‘Bittersweet’ the crowd was at a high energy as they sang and shouted the lyrics with the band.

Their performance was filled with pure joy as I watched their drummer smile and sing along as he effortlessly drove the beat to their setlist. For a band that has been touring since January they came out in incredibly strong form. ‘ICFTYDLM’ heroed Braiden Michetti’s bass guitar, you could feel the groove and feeling through this track all throughout your body and soul for this steezy, slow groove blues number.

Throughout the set Fergus and Alex shared the spotlight of lead vocal which was an awesome dynamic, in between one of the tunes someone yelled out to play Tina Turner at which the band reacted effortlessly and launched into ‘Proud Mary’ for a few phrases, showcasing the absolute talent this group has to offer.

You can hear the influence Nashville has had on Kingswood whilst recording their record ‘After Hours, Close To Dawn’ there as they carried that essence of American Country and Blues throughout their lyricism and melody in their most recent works. ‘Good Whiskey’ is a perfect example of this and again the crowd was incredibly involved singing along to one of their favourite new tracks.

It is easy to pick their most popular tracks which were my highlights for crowd involvement, towards the end of their set they performed ‘Creepin’, ‘Big City’, ‘One Too Many Times’ and ‘Cigarettes in Bed’, ending with the crowd crying out for a second encore. Seeing Kingswood perform to such an excitable and engaged crowd was really something to behold. This is a group of incredible showmen with an awesome attitude and a truck full of talent.

Keeley Connolly