Live Review: Hatchie, Pool Shop, Culte

As those enthusiastic early comers file in to catch the night’s support acts, Culte kick things off with some perfectly fitting indie-pop sounds. The brainchild of singer-songwriter Yura Iwama, Culte take simple chord progressions and straightforward lyrics well beyond the sum of their parts, blending the two into a dreamy swell of lo-fi tunes. While the live line-up could benefit from backing vocals to pair against Iwama’s breathy style, the band definitely cement themselves as one to watch.

Culte @ Northcote Social Club. Photo by Joshua Braybrook.

Pool Shop are next to the stage, and while a couple of apparent tech issues cause some hiccups during their time in the spotlight, the forgiving crowd get right into it. The Brisbane outfit divulge that this is their first show playing outside of Queensland, with singer Jaimee Fryer triumphing over some obvious nerves throughout. The ethereal shimmer of guitars throughout Shooting Star is a set highlight, along with a sneaky Broken Social Scene cover thrown in to seal the deal.

Pool Shop @ Northcote Social Club. Photo by Joshua Braybrook.

The whirring synth tones of Sleep begin to fill the Northcote Social Club before the bass-slinging Hatchie explodes into her unique mix of throwback pop and indie chic. Beyond the mononym is Harriette Pilbeam, who fronts the group with both a confident swagger and genuine enthusiasm. It’s a delightful scene to watch unfold, as an open yet assured artist takes her audience through a heady blend of catchy tunes and vulnerable lyrics.

Without a full LP yet to her name, Pilbeam enchants her crowd with a short but lively set of unreleased songs and fan favourites from her 2018 EP, Sugar & Spice. Pilbeam could easily trade on the success of said EP for months to come, but the Brisbane singer has been hard at work crafting what is sure to be a brilliant debut, set for release in June. Tonight, the crowd and band are as excited as each other for the upcoming tracks, as the brand new Obsessed gets its first-ever live play to huge audience acclaim. Pilbeam makes an unnecessary request of her punters to “go easy on us” for the premiere, but Hatchie and co deliver a flawless rendition of a song that went live online only a few hours earlier.

On the surface, it would be easy to dismiss an artist at this early stage, but Pilbeam demolishes any potential naysayers from minute one. The potential and possibilities for the young artist are not even close to negotiable, they're a bonafide guarantee. That old cliché of the ‘next big thing’ is tossed around with abandon, but Hatchie is the real deal. She’s just finished a run supporting Kylie Minogue, for Pete’s sake, what more convincing do you need?

Hatchie @ Northcote Social Club. Photo by Joshua Braybrook.