Killing Heidi @ The Tivoli Theatre Review

Killing Heidi’s electric Saturday night performance (10 June) at The Tivoli Theatre – the final show of their 20-year reunion tour - was an unwavering, powerful testament to the pop/ punk/ rock/ disco goth/ funk/ grunge sound that stole Aussie hearts in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Lead singer Ella Hooper’s demure black pantsuit (or “cat/bat suit” as her brother and lead guitarist Jesse Hooper described it) was the only thing understated about this forceful show.

The band owned the stage from the get go with the heavy, yet thrilling ‘Calm Down’ during which Ella set the bar with powerful vocals while flitting from one edge of the stage to the next, dropping to her knees, head banging and miming to a crowd that needed no direction or reminder of the lyrics to the popular song.

Killing Heidi - image © Zoe Russell

The strong start left fans aching for more of the raw talent that has been honed over the last two decades into a musical tour de force. Continuing the hard and fast pace with ‘I Am’ and ‘Outside Of Me’ Ella wood the crowd with urges to “whinge with me Brisbane”, confessing her shock at the incredible turnout Killing Heidi had drawn.

Next were the throwbacks to their first record including a heartfelt ‘Real People’ and a rendition of ‘Heavensent’ that was delivered with album-clean precision.

Killing Heidi - image © Zoe Russell

Setting a more somber mood, Ella thanked the crowd for their Triple J Unearthed support back when they released ‘Kettle’, a track which she wrote when she was just 13. “It was in vogue to be quite depressed in the '90s and it made my mum cry so it ticked both those boxes,” she said with a smile that bore none of the angst that made her band famous.

As Ella waxed lyrical, James Gilligan swapped his bass for a fiddle and a silence fell upon the crowd. “Remember the first time we slow danced to this song?” a teary, middle-aged man in the crowd smiled at his boyfriend, gripping his hand as they swayed together to the painfully angelic notes of ‘Astral Boy’.

Killing Heidi - image © Zoe Russell

After cultivating quiet moments and having covered punk rock, grunge and soulful acoustics with ease, Killing Heidi then lit up the crowd with the cheerful country-folk melody of ‘Black Sheep’. The otherwise iconic performances then proceeded into experimental territory, with Ella launching into tracks from her solo career and break-away band The Verses playing ‘Want Everything’ and ‘Monkey Mind’ among others.

There is no denying the skillful execution of these tunes, but the detour into slow rock and country twang somewhat derailed the energy buildup the gig had thus far garnered. The crowd still shouted out “We love you Ella!” at regular intervals, but smoking decks slowly filled as all but diehard fans waited for the band to return to their much-loved chart toppers.

Killing Heidi - image © Zoe Russell

With stage time running out (as Ella took the time to give a running commentary on every hit), Killing Heidi then launched into 'Live Without It’ before the highly anticipated performance of ‘Mascara’.

While fan’s adoration of the defining Killing Heidi song was undeniable, it was clear that this – the last of the reunion shows for the foreseeable future – was just as much for Killing Heidi as it was for their concert goers. Ella turned the microphone to the crowd for at least half of the lyrics of ‘Mascara’.

Props to the band as it’s not often you see so many people singing so effortlessly in unison to a home-grown track now relegated to once in a while air time on classic hits FM. Their second most popular song, 'Weir', was then sung in three parts, with Ella breaking to pull at '90s heart strings and tell the crowd that it’s ok to feel things deeply and sincerely and “not be so cool and ironic all the time”.

Killing Heidi - image © Zoe Russell

An encore of ‘Leave Me Alone’ and ‘Superman Supergirl’ showcased the incredible talent of double-kick master drummer Adam Pedretti, yet Ella’s flawless vocal delivery of these grunge rock classics was bittersweet. Gone are the days where the power and passion in Ella Hooper’s untamed, breaking voice is fuelled by teenage angst and apprehension.

Although the songs are still the anthems of struggle they were when they dropped years ago, during this Killing Heidi concert grit and emotional apprehension were replaced by the conspicuous gladness of a band with a well-earned pride in their success.

A special mention must be made for the tour’s supporting acts, both of which are undeniably talented and entertaining enough to thrive as stand-alone performances. Eliza & The Delusionals kicked off the night with catchy indie-punk melodies and driving drum beats that infused the atmosphere with the teenage trepidation we’re all familiar with.

Their Killing Heidi meets Paramore vibes were pulled off with flawless performances by both the band and the lead singer who was endearingly fresh-faced yet startlingly capable.

Iluka then brought the show to the next level with the lead singer’s effortless transitions from sweet, Taylor Swift melodies to sultry quavering to gritty, classic rock & roll wailing. She exuded confidence and attitude, which was backed by a voice so powerful it could have been on Broadway.

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