Review: Killing Heidi @ The Gov 20/06/25
Performing their debut album in full, Killing Heidi brought the nostalgia to The Gov for a wonderful celebration of their 25 year career.
Words Wayne Suanders // Photo Michelle Grace Hunder
Killing Heidi w/Siobhan Cotchin & Hassall @ The Gov 20/06/25
A night of female-fronted rock was on the menu when Killing Heidi brought the nostalgia to The Gov alongside support acts Siobhan Cotchin and Hassall.
Opening the night was Melbourne singer-songwriter Hassall, joined by the talented Will on keys and percussion. Hassall got the crowd rocking with her infectious pop-rock jaunts and busker appeal.
Up next was Cotchin, the self-proclaimed “rock ‘n’ roll cowgirl”, delivering a set of indie rock meets country songs that had the crowd up and about.
Both artists had a commendable audience turnout, showing that punters weren’t just there for the headline act. It was also great to see support for up-and-coming female-fronted acts.
A sold-out show at The Gov never really feels sold out in my experience. There’s always plenty of room to make your way around, and no matter where you are, you’ll get a great view of the stage.
I found myself over near the Robert Dunstan bar by the time Killing Heidi were due on stage and was ready for a trip down memory lane, along with the rest of my cohorts who filled out the venue, comprising mainly of millennials and Gen X-ers.
The crowd erupted in applause when Killing Heidi took to the stage. Jesse Hooper was decked out in a black cowboy hat matched with a sequinned black t-shirt, while his sister Ella sported a black t-shirt embalzoned with ‘BORING AND OLD’ in bold white type, an obvious reference to their hit single ‘Mascara’ and an ironic statement all in one.
Being the 25th anniversary tour of Reflector, you know what you’re in for, with the band kicking things off with the aforementioned ‘Mascara’, followed by ‘Weir’ and ‘Superman/Supergirl’. These three songs are arguably Killing Heidi’s biggest songs and possibly the most hit-filled opening to a set I’ve ever seen.
The energy was high after this trio of bangers. Ella bounced around the stage, making sure no one in the venue was ignored, all while hitting every note impeccably. The set list started to venture into deeper cuts from the album, but the crowd was along for the ride, often singing along with their phones out and recording the action.
This was the first night of the tour, and Jesse admitted this was the first time the band had ever played the record in full live. Perhaps this was a bad omen, as the energy dipped a little when the band got to the tail end of their debut album. Performing tracks that have rarely been heard live, a bit of ring rust was understandable, but things got back on track quickly when Killing Heidi transitioned into ‘Live Without It’, bringing the energy back to the room.
The band finished the remainder of the album and showed their appreciation to the sold-out crowd and the support acts before heading off stage. You know what happens next, it’s encore time!
The band returned to the stage and played several songs from their albums Present and Killing Heidi before ending the evening with their hit ‘I Am’, a monster hit from 2004 that was included on the Spider-Man 2 soundtrack.
It was at this time that we reached peak nostalgia. The crowd looked full and content. As I made my way out of The Gov and headed home, I passed a gleeful fan posing for a photo with the set list. A perfect keepsake after an awesome night of live Aussie music.
