Live Review: COTERIE
Australian Tour 2022
19 August 2022 at the Astor Theatre Perth
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photos by Sheldon Ang Photography
“Last year we had to ask our mates to come to our gigs, because we were afraid that no one would show up” – lead vocalist and guitarist Tyler Fisher at Freo.Social on September, 2020.
Two years on, such calamitous resonance in the minds of COTERIE are forever trenched, following a series of sold-out performances across the country, including tonight at the historic Astor Theatre to a capacity fanfare of 1500.
Perth may be the last city to re-embrace the rest of world since 2020, but COTERIE was quick off the blocks by piggy backing on New Zealand’s award-winning quintet SIX60 on their Australian tour, opening to sold out arenas. That’s a massive coup for the four brothers, given that SIX60 was the first Kiwi headliner to perform to a capacity crowd of 50,000 at Eden Park. In contrary, it was a sensible foreplay for SIX60, considering the Perth-based band is one of Australia’s most electrifying live acts, propagating a fusion of reggae, RnB, pop and rock, while oozing the charismatic collective souls that’s comparable to the brightest of Berry Gordy’s graduates.
As the countdown reached zero, COTERIE graced the stage to the rupture of a deafening roar, kicking off with Cool it Down. Just like the title, the live performance has an RnB and seascape reggae vibe, transporting the audience onto a feel-good journey of hope and serenity. The guitar was scintillatingly breezy, weaving through the groovy basslines and chill out drums, sonically charging the sumptuous vocals of Tyler Fisher to an irresistible delight.
Tyler’s vocal range is impeccable, from the lows in verse 1 to the highs in the choruses and punchlines such as in Salvation. Put simply, the heavenly caresses were trickled through the vocal range, oozing a palpable sincerity and honesty that was felt throughout the theatre.
The eclectic whims of the band saw the five men switched effortlessly from a heartfelt and visceral outpours to a high tempo sonic charge, through the transformative efforts by brothers Brandford (bass), Joshua (piano), and Conrad (lead guitar) who formed the pillars of COTERIE, along with the drummer as the touring muso.
It’s not just the vocals; Tyler and his brother’s westside showmanship and the connection with the audience are immersive. “We’ve been in this band coming to three years now…about two years ago, we started playing this set of song in the crowd….and if we could, can we join you there in the middle?” And just like that, they snaked through the human sardines and performed a capella of Stepping Stone in the centre of the historical theatre floor. Like a troupe of well-tuned preachers singing in a church of Louisiana, they harmonised divinely, which got the audience joining into the catchy chorus, ”Don’t wanna way to see-e-e, where were gonna be-e-e…Tell me now I wanna know, I’m not your stepping stone…” on repeat, echoing one of the sweetest backing vocals by a cast of over a thousand members.
The Perth music scene may have indeed been the stepping stone and a place of inspiration. The brothers of Maori heritage publicly embraced the lifestyle of sunny Western Australia, which led to the unreleased airy track West Coast Drive, spurting more reggae/rock/pop…and another track performed that was written “four or five days ago called Déjà vu…or Sunshine”.
And so the night ended with Killing It Off, propagating more rock and reggae fusion, but the crowd embraced the live performance as if it was a KISS concert, with shoulders becoming viewing platform for many. Everyone had stayed to this point to be spiritually elevated by a talented cohesive outfit, a brotherhood with no individual egos, but of equal measures.
The writer would like to thank Claire from Sony Music Australia for the invitation!
About the Writer/Photographer: Sheldon Ang is the founder of Sheldon Ang Media. Despite the recent launch in May, SAM has photographed and reviewed the most sought-after arena/stadium concerts in Perth, namely The Kid LAROI, Louis Tomlinson (One Direction), Guy Sebastian, Glass Animals, Gang of Youths, Amy Shark, SYNTHONY 2022 – with many more to come including KISS.
Sheldon was also the Chief Photographer and Principal Writer for “Around the Sound” where he had interviewed over 50 artists including members of KISS, Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, INXS, Jefferson Starship and Europe. That site has been removed from cyberspace by their founder in April.
