Live Review: Josh Tatofi Looking For Love Tour in Fremantle 2026
29 April 2026 at Metropolis Fremantle Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
It felt as if we had stumbled into a Taylor Swift Eras concert.
You know you’re in the middle of something similar when screams of delirium echo through the quiet parts, between verses and even during those E-flat falsetto notes.
And when Josh Tatofi, a Hawaiian-born American and proudly Tongan heritage sang, the room was emersed with national pride – not among Americans, but among Tongans. Every bit of Metropolis Fremantle was filled with South Pacific islanders who’ve made Perth home. Flags rippled overhead like a Rugby Union match against Fiji, and the sing-alongs were engraved with the patriotism of their anthem at the Olympics.
Tatofi first broke through internationally with his Hawaiian-language debut album, Pua Kiele, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Regional Roots Music Album at the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards.
Tatofi grew up in Honolulu in a family where music was the default setting. His father, Tivaini Tatofi, helped found the local island group Kapena, and Josh was performing around the islands, soaking up harmony the way other kids soak up sport. Even his Hawaiian-language material is built for feeling first; he has spoken about writing ideas in Tongan, then in English, before working with fluent friends to bring the final Hawaiian lyrics into place.
The concert commenced minutes early, but by 8:45pm, Metropolis Fremantle was already jam-packed, standing like a collective unit of voices.
Tatofi opened with “Prisoner of Love”, a breezy seaside track so sunlit it briefly transported the room to the middle of O‘ahu, and straight back to Tonga. The slow burn of keys, a velvety bed of chords, and gentle guitar felt almost incongruous against the beautiful chaos in front of him. People screamed through every syllable, and the self-appointed choir in the crowd stayed part of the show for the rest of the night.
A crowd favourite arrived early with “Pualena”. It’s 90s-leaning Motown warmth slipped straight into the bloodstream: tender leads, a steady baritone undercurrent, and harmonies smooth enough to keep the song afloat amid the screams. For a few minutes, every woman in the room became “Pualena” (dark flower), a metaphor for someone whose beauty and presence completely captivate him, delivered with the kind of softness Tatofi makes feel effortless.
That cultural pride, paired with Tatofi’s velvet-smooth vocals, was explosive. The crowd sang every lyric, every syllable; at times so loudly the audience became a second lead.
He performed most of the night under the cover of twilight, hat and sunglasses on, backed by a full band dressed with a sharp, almost ’60s elegance that matched the retro-soul sheen of the set.
One of the loudest reactions of the night came for his cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”. Tatofi pulled more soul from the song’s core and let it bloom into a gentle reggae sway, turning that familiar ache into something warmer and more communal. When he hit the lines about being afraid of changing, people started singing to the top of their lungs. His voice, unshowy, controlled, and intimate, stayed the centrepiece.
Elsewhere, he slipped easily between originals and crowd-pleasing covers, like he was reading the room as much as the setlist. “Tennessee Whiskey” (from David Allan Coe, later made famous by Chris Stapleton) was a highlight. When he stretched the word high into stratospheric territory, the crowd cheered him on.
By the time he closed with “Launa”, the night had that loose, salt-air feeling you only get after a run of slow songs that have been sung more than listened to. It was the most overtly Hawaiian moment of the set, and the perfect way to ease the room back to shore after the night’s emotional peaks.
Still, the night ultimately belonged to Perth’s Tongan-Australian community; singing, waving flags, and turning a Fremantle venue into a homecoming.
Following Perth, Josh Tatofa will be touring Sydney (sold out), Melbourne and Brisbane. Tickets are available from Frontier Touring.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Frontier Touring and Josh Tatofi for the Photo Accreditation and Tickets.
About the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro (pictured) with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist
