Spacey Jane, an indie rock band hailing from Western Australia, surged to prominence with their first releases in 2018 and 19 but had their momentum cut short on their debut album in 2020 due to the pandemic. All their hard work fell into dust on a music scene that was drained of its live opportunities and experiences so suddenly.
With the recent release of their third studio album, If That Makes Sense, Spacey Jane have been on tour in North America, then stopping in London at the O2 Brixton for a night before moving on to the European leg of their tour.
The enthusiasm was tangible immediately in their performance; they played with the eagerness and inertia of a band that has been somewhat restricted since its conception. Finally getting breathing room to perform and bask in the spotlight, they seemed to channel an energy and consistency throughout their set, with the enthusiasm of a band that has been poised and ready to leap, just waiting for the green light to finally do so.
This enthusiasm was visible on the band members’ faces, and also in the mobility and physical endurance of guitarist Ashton Le Cornu, who would twist, jump, and bend as he effortlessly and simultaneously shredded on his guitar. Occasionally, he and Peppa, the bassist, would interact and drift apart, jumping about and making the most of the space. As far as stage decorations went, the set was relatively bare except for a “SPACEY” banner behind them, but any accessories seemed unnecessary, and you quickly realized why that was.
Spacey Jane launched the set with the heart-wrenchingly catchy and bittersweet “Through My Teeth”, a hit single off their latest album. As soon as the notes began, everyone was up and out of their seats, and anyone in reserved spots in the blocks became portioned into a second mosh pit layered above the first one. It didn’t matter how close or far you were to the stage, the whole audience immediately became one. There was never an instrument that overpowered another. Individually, they each had something unique and standout to contribute, but each in their own designated times, and never stepped over each other. The audio engineering and production were really well executed as well, with the melodic harmonies playing behind Caleb’s singing.
They played their latest single release next, with “Estimated Delivery”, which acoustically follows the tone and colour of the latest album and is a standout in its hooks and catchy melody. Next, they played “Skin”, which is what brought me to the discovery of the band on its release in 2020 and kicked their career into gear as they prepped for the release of the album Sunlight later that year. The whole crowd participated in the bridge for “Skin”; I don’t think there was one person who wasn’t singing along with the band. Pretty consistently throughout their set, people were singing along to almost every single song, which is a unique sight to see. There was never a lull or a boring moment, even in the tamer songs. The groovy bass breakdown and guitar solos were really lovely to experience live.
As far as guitar hooks go for their latest album release, my absolute favorite is from “All The Noise”; the opening guitar riff that works itself up, throws the melody in the air, pauses, and then catches it again, and the sparkling chorus that brings the melody into zero gravity before grounding it back into the Earth again with the return to the verse. The whole song runs like a roller coaster that chugs along, glides through loops, and then rockets you down from the heights it brought you to.
Interjecting equal elements of past albums as well as the newer ones, you can really tell the difference in flavor from their latest album to their older stuff. Equally catching, they both seem to shine in different gradients. The crowd never seemed to lull during the songs, and once everyone had stood up they stayed standing until the band left the stage for a final time. There was always a chorus of people singing along, bobbing to the anthemic guitars and waving their drinks as Peppa and Ashton danced about each other on the stage, with the same peppy rock enthusiasm of their music videos.
After the 2018 track “Sawteeth”, they played “Whateverrrr” and the rousing breakup melody electrified everyone owth the unifying line “whatever, I’ll think of you forever”. The vocals were especially chilling in this song; Caleb has such a beautiful, smooth voice that translates well from the studio to the stage. The band seemed to gain energy as the concert went on, rather than losing momentum. Caleb took the stage in a sharp fit of tailored trousers, a pressed white shirt, and a tie. He never seemed restricted by his wardrobe, moving with ease and making the performance look effortless in such a polished look.
Spacey Jane gave everything you could want from one of their shows: the energy that was optimistic, nostalgic, celebratory, and cathartic in equal measure. At the end, they all climbed onto the platform with Kieran, the drummer, before Ashton launched himself off mid-riff, and the set unraveled into its climax. After a satiating 16 songs, they still returned for two encore tracks, and the night somehow still flew by. Even from far back, you could feel the current; the whole O2 Academy felt like one big pit, which made the show feel surprisingly intimate. It was the kind of show that made you wish you were a part of the band, and with the whole audience coming alive in response to the band’s energy, consistently singing and dancing for the whole night, it almost felt as if, in those two hours, you were.
