Courtney Barnett tears the lid off the forum with a fitting end to her ‘Creature Of Habit’ tour.
Melbourne rock royalty Courtney Barnett finally makes her highly anticipated return to the UK, fresh off the back of a 2-month-long tour of the US. Fellow Australians Body Type kick off the night, like Barnett also sporting a freshly released album from earlier this year. I saw Body Type play a few years back in Melbourne, so it’s satisfying to see the band get their flowers on such a big stage.
The crowd erupts as Barnett and her band take the stage, bursting straight into ‘Stay In Your Lane’, the lead single from Creature Of Habit, released early this year. The magnitude of sound Barnett produces as a 3-piece band is made known from the jump. The heavy bassline leads the tune whilst backed by electronic-style drums. Barnett seems to play whatever slick guitar lead she pleases whilst stumbling about the stage: mega. Just like that we’re away, and the hits continue to flow. ‘City Looks Pretty’ into ‘Avant Gardener’, even introducing the deep cut of ‘An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)’ from her debut studio album, a track she states she’s not played for a while. I was lucky enough to see Courtney Barnett the last time she was in London, packing out MOTH Club for a sweaty, short and sharp set to promote the new record. O2 Kentish Town felt no different, packed to the gills with eager fans, the only difference being the sheer versatility of this set. As Barnett jumps between an array of tunes across different albums, I realised how sonically sound she is as an artist, tunes stringing as far back as 2014 sounding perfectly apt with her newer tracks.
Barnett has the crowd in the palm of her hand the entire show: everyone’s in awe of her presence. The way that she and the band stay so tight whilst giving so much energy is refreshing to see on such a big stage. She takes a minute to check in on the crowd whilst drummer Stella Mozgawa introduces ‘Elevator Operator’, a tune I was pleasantly surprised to see played live. To close out the set, Barnett gives a nod to her 2021 album Things Take Time, Take Time, playing ‘Before You Gotta Go’ and ‘Write a List of Things to Look Forward To’, such a pretty duo that I couldn’t help but smile and sing along to.
All credit to Barnett and the band as they wrap up a tremendous 20-song set, that being before the encore begins. Courtney returns to centre stage alone, again met with a sea of applause and cheers as she takes a moment to thank the crowd. “I’m getting sentimental!” she jokes as she shows some ‘last show of the tour’ emotion whilst thanking the crowd and Body Type. I can’t help but reciprocate some of this emotion whilst Barnett graces the crowd with her beautiful number ‘Mostly Patient’. For a set full of so much energy and drive, it’s stunning to see surrounding fans pull their family, mates or partners a little closer for this tune. The sentimental moment quickly peters away as she launches into the heavy favourite ‘Pedestrian at Best’, before closing out the mammoth set with ‘Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party’.
Courtney Barnett continues to show she has no expiry. With a set as jam-packed and full of hits as this, it’s clear to see there’s not a stage she can’t conquer.
Photography By: Izzie Austin